I Just Want You To Know Who I am
by Snarky Badger
Summary: *Venom Movie Reader Insert. Based off of the Movie Trailer* A street rat, her guitar, and the demon of San Francisco
1. Chapter 1

First foray into the Reader Insert style of writing! People liked it on AO3, so I thought I'd post it here as well! All credit for the inspiration for my first Reader fic goes to mintstermonsters and thirsty-venom-posts on Tumblr for their wonderful Venom Prompt drabbles!

* * *

.

.

.

Your life had become weird.

Usually, life was a boring day to day grind. Made all the harder by the unmerciful life that encapsulated living on the streets. Even more complicated was being _female_ while living on the streets - women were often prey to the lowlifes that wandered the City.

Things had happened in the past, most of them not your fault, and the result had landed you wandering the streets of San Francisco. Longs years of struggling to survive, of going hungry, of being beneath the notice of the 'common' folk. It was draining to say the least.

Still, you'd managed to eek out enough to survive. The guitar you'd treasured throughout your life was your lifeline. You could sing and you could play - two things in your favor.

Every day, you'd make your way to your favorite corner, just across from a small coffee shop, dressed in torn jeans, sneakers and the most presentable tee shirt you owned, leather jacket tied around your waist. Your guitar case and the backpack that held all you owned on the ground at your feet, you'd croon out the lyrics of one of the several dozen songs that you knew, calloused fingers plucking at well worn strings of your acoustic guitar.

Lots of people walked past, but a few stopped to listen, tossed a few dollar bills into the open case. When the morning rush was done and the street was silent, you trekked your way over to a small open market. One good thing about the living in San Francisco - there were plenty of fruit and vegetable markets and various craft and miscellaneous crap stands open year round, and the large markets drew a fairly good crowd everyday.

It was only when your stomach started growling loud enough that several people gave you weird glances that you stopped playing, slinging the guitar onto your back as you knelt to count out the coins and crumpled bills in the case. It wasn't much, but enough for a fairly good meal.

There was a lull, between two and three in the afternoon, where you trekked to your favorite restaurant - a small diner that had a waitress that didn't treat you like the scum of the earth for being a street rat. She even gave you a free piece of pie from time to time, when the nice cook was working in the kitchen.

On the days where you only had enough for a vending machine lunch, you spent time at the Library, tirelessly Xeroxing sheets of music for new songs to add to your repertoire or printing them off of sites on the Internet. Though photocopying pages was a hit to your limited finances, music was the one thing in your life that brought you happiness, so going a little hungry in exchange was something that you could rationalize. At least acoustic versions of songs were popular, it made finding songs that you liked easy.

Quitting time for the masses started at three sharp, and back to the corner across from the coffee shop you'd be, singing and playing for your livelihood. People were still in a hurry, but at the end of the day, more would stop to listen to the old tunes you were playing. ' _Hotel California_ ' was a favorite that had many a coin and crumpled bill dropping into your open guitar case.

It was while you were strumming the chords to the chorus of ' _Iris_ ' that you noticed the man walking towards you. He had his head down, frowning, murmuring to himself. You didn't see a Bluetooth earpiece on him, but these days, there was no real way to tell who was crazy and who was on the phone.

He was almost past you when the song had him jerking to a stop, his oddly intense gaze landing on you as the lyrics left your lips. It was a little unnerving, like being watched by some dangerous predator, but long practice of dealing with the public kept your voice from wavering, your fingers from missing a note.

" _And I don't want the world to see me. 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken. I just want you to know who I am._ "

He stood there, the expression on his face akin to one that would have looked more appropriate if you'd flashed him or hit him over the head with a crowbar. Still, you were used to the weirdness of people, so you gave him a brief smile in between stanzas as you continued singing.

You would have kept a wary eye on the odd dude, but your attention was diverted away from him as a mother and child stopped to listen, the little girl, no more than six, giving you a big toothy smile as she dropped the five her mum had given her into the guitar case. You bowed to her, returning the smile, laughing internally as the girl giggled and retreated to hide behind her mother.

The strange fellow was still there when the song ended, and you shifted your weight as you rose your gaze to his, tensing in preparation of a fight - it wouldn't be the first time some asshole tried to either grope you or steal your hard earned money. He might not have looked like the type to steal from some poor street performer, but you'd been ripped off by beautiful people and lowlifes equally before.

Honestly, you were getting ready to kick him in the nuts if he so much as twitched in your direction when he finally moved, pulling his wallet out from his jeans and pulling a real life twenty out of it. Holy shit, it was a twenty. You couldn't remember the last time someone had given you a twenty.

"Love the music," he said, that odd predatory look gone now, only calm steel blue eyes and a roguish smile as he held the bill out to you. "You've got a lovely voice."

It took a moment for your brain to remind you to answer. Perhaps said brain was upset that there was to be no nut-kicking. "T-Thanks." You calmly - _calmly_ not at all like the starving musician you were - accepted the twenty, slipping it into the pocket of your jeans. And then, so you wouldn't sound like a total idiot added: "Glad you like the tunes. As thanks, you can request practically anything - except country. I don't do country. To be honest, I'm not a fan of the twanging."

"How about a cup of coffee?"

"Uh..." A cup of coffee? You? Him? You tried to remember the last time someone had asked you out for coffee and came up with nothing. "Ah...wha... I'm all out?" Idiot. You were an idiot.

Thankfully he didn't laugh at the stupidity that was currently you. He actually looked _dismayed_. "Too forward?"

Some insane part of you rushed to make that kicked-puppy look on his face go away. "Uh... no? No... No! It's just... No one's ever... offered? Like, ever?" Really, when was your brain going to kick in and re-engage your ability to speak like a normal person? "I mean... _Why?_ "

He took pity on the bumbling mess you were currently emulating. "Why not? We- _I_ \- really liked your singing."

You blinked at his odd 'faux pas', but couldn't deny that a chance to have coffee with a ruggedly handsome guy didn't exactly happen very often. Or ever. Usually the only offers that came your way was either from some drugged out idiot, gang member, or a dangerous pimp that wanted to get into your pants.

And it wasn't as if you had better things to do - the after work bustle was pretty much done, and with a twenty in your pocket along with whatever the hell was in your case, you did have enough money to live for another day.

What the hell. "...Sure. Alright. Coffee."

Over some enormously, stupidly, expensive cup of coffee and a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies - you were doing your best not to eat them all - you learned that his name was Eddie Brock, that he used to be a reporter, and that he was a steadfast fan of the blues, rock and roll, and absolutely no country, thank you very much.

He kept his questions in a safe territory that plainly skirted around why you were playing the guitar on a street corner every day. You did the same about why he wasn't a reporter anymore - the grimace on his face when he'd mentioned it had plainly screamed 'please don't ask'.

You commiserated over the death of B.B. King, and the loss of Koko Taylor, then argued over each of your favorite songs of Eric Clapton before agreeing that Joe Bonamassa was possibly the next big artist for the Blues - Eddie seemed highly amused when you admitted to sneaking into a concert to hear him play.

It was honestly one of the best times you'd had in months, possibly a year. Maybe two.

He even bought you another round of coffee, and, when your damned traitorous stomach had growled - you'd groaned and dropped your face into your hands in shame - another plate of cookies and two muffins that were easily twice the size that normal muffins were supposed to be.

You did your best not to wolf down the offered food like the starving person you were. Even used a napkin, all proper like.

He seemed oddly happy about making sure you had your fill. Frankly, you were too happy about having a full belly to be overly self-conscious about it.

It was only when the barista started closing up that you realized that it was dark, and that the two of you had been talking for hours. It had gone by fast, too fast, if you wanted to be honest with yourself.

So you found yourself awkwardly standing in front of him, outside of the shop, your guitar slung onto your back and your backpack on your right shoulder. He didn't look any more enthused about ending the day either, but really, they couldn't keep standing there like idiots.

"Gimme a few days to make some green, and next time, I'll buy," You offered, doing your best not to blush at the blatantly happy look he gave you.

"I'd like that. So I'll... see you around?"

You nodded. "You know where to find me."

Throwing a wave his way, you turned and headed down the street, towards Golden Gate Park, where a bench with your name on it was calling. You glanced back once, hoping to catch another glimpse of him, only to stop and blink when your gaze encountered empty sidewalk. Weird.

Still. You were tired, and a full stomach was making you sleepy.

It didn't take more than twenty minutes to trudge to a secluded place in the Park, where the park bench that you usually slept on was situated. You'd spent hours dragging it away from the nearby pathways a month ago, sweating and cursing as you moved it to a spot where, hopefully, no one would notice you. Last thing you needed was to wake up to some bum dry-humping you. Again.

It wasn't comfortable, and the night was cool enough that you needed to put on your jacket, but you were used to the lack of give that a wooden bench afforded. Shoving your backpack under your head, you stretched out as much as the bench would allow, hugged your guitar case to your chest, and did your damnedest to fall asleep.

You don't know how long you managed to sleep. Maybe a couple of hours. It was the sound of loud, raucous laughter and the noise of shattering bottles that snapped you awake, heart hammering in your chest.

Whoever was making all the noise was way, way, to close for comfort. It didn't even take a second thought to gather up your belongings and try to creep away, inwardly cursing when a flashlight illuminated you, a high pitched catcall cutting through the night.

"Well, well. What have we here?"

Craaaaap.

"Hey. Hey, Donnie. Maybe she's here to party? She's got a guitar and everything!"

"Yeah! Hey, girlie, you gonna give us a concert?"

"Fuck no," left you before the little censor dude in your head could stop you.

The trio laughed, obviously drunk off their asses, but not drunk enough that they didn't pose a real threat.

"C'mon, c'mon! Just one song?"

"Yeah! We'll let you party with us and everything!"

Barf.

"We'll make it worth your while!"

Double barf.

Whichever asshole was holding the flashlight shone it right into your eyes, doing a damned good job of blinding you. It made you pause, cursing as you rose a hand to protect your eyes as you started to back away.

Retreat failed as soon as you felt someone grab your backpack, yanking at it and throwing you off-balance. You spun into the yank, fist lashing out, feeling a nose give way beneath your knuckles as a howl of pain left whichever moron you'd managed to clobber.

Abandoning the bag felt like a kick to the gut, but some toiletries and spare clothing weren't worth your life. You slung your guitar onto your back as you turned and made a run for it, crying out when something hard - it felt like a thrown flashlight - cracked you in the back of the head.

Cursing, you tripped and crashed to the ground, grunting at the impact. Rapid footsteps preceded the kick that landed to your ribs, a cry of pain escaping you as you curled up in an attempt to protect yourself.

"Stupid bitch broke my fucking nose!"

"Get the guitar! I bet we can pawn it for some of the good stuff!" Hands grabbed at you, the metal on metal sound of a switchblade being extended making you try to scramble to your feet only for another kick to knock the wind out of your lungs, leaving you to wheeze helplessly as yet another strike impacted with your left side.

The strap to your guitar case went slack, and you realized that one of them had cut it off of you. The thought of losing your guitar - the only thing of your old life that had any real meaning left to it - made you lash out blindly, aiming high. A pained grunt and a curse let you know that you managed to kick _someone_ in the balls.

Small blessings.

With one trying to stop the bleeding from his nose, and the other now winded - if you were lucky, his nads were residing somewhere in his stomach - you had enough time to get to your feet. Swaying slightly, you dodged another kick aimed in your general direction, then made a grab for your guitar.

Unfortunately, it was a move that was predicted, as the switchblade that was now embedded in your right forearm could attest. You stared at the hilt of said knife stupidly, idly noting that the blade of it was completely sunken into your flesh.

This really wasn't your night.

Well, shit. Might as well go for broke.

Cursing, you threw yourself at the one holding your guitar, tackling him to the ground, the case flying from his grasp as you attacked, ignoring the pain of the knife in your arm as you punched and kicked and kneed him in the ribs.

Arms grabbed you, lifting you up and away from your target. You thrashed, screaming, kicking, scratching, biting. You tried everything you could think of to try to get away, aiming for shins and knees, elbow rising up and back to hit the moron on the left in the face. A shriek of pain escaping you seconds later when the knife was yanked from your arm, hot blood wetting the inside of your sleeve.

You had no choice but to go limp when the blade was placed at your throat.

"Aren't you a feisty one," growled the one who was holding the knife. "You'll be lots of- _GHK!_ "

"YOU DARE TO HURT OUR LITTLE STAR?!"

The voice was a deep growl, enraged, a noise full of violence and hatred and the promise of pain.

One moment the guy to your right was there, the next he wasn't. A rapidly distancing scream made you think that he had been bodily thrown across the Park. Though that was impossible. Maybe you were concussed.

Still, it made the second idiot that was holding you let go and turn to face the direction his friend had vanished to. You mule kicked him in the knee for good measure before you staggered away, clutching at your bleeding arm in a valiant attempt to stop the blood from flowing.

The third one had finally managed to get to his feet from where you'd tackled him, only the night came alive - inky darkness surging forward with a horrible snarl. Something huge moved, hitting the flashlight and making it spin dizzyingly, screams from the two remaining men momentarily overshadowing the terrible wet sounds of someone being ripped limb from limb.

You weren't stupid. You grabbed your guitar where it had been thrown and started to make a run for it, your breath wheezing as the pain in your left side made getting enough air nigh impossible. There were more screams from behind you, more wet popping sounds, before the voice came again, this time without the malice.

"OUR LITTLE STAR! WAIT! WE WON'T HURT YOU."

Oh crap, it must be talking to you.

There was movement behind you, some large mass moving in the darkness beyond the light from a nearby light post, black shadows coming alive. Gods, it was a nightmare in real life.

Adrenaline gave way to pure panic as you tripped, dropping to your knees in the dirt, tears starting to gather in your eyes as you hugged your guitar case to your chest. "Please don't kill me!"

"WE WOULD NEVER HURT OUR STAR." Some deep bass rumble, like rocks in a tumbler, rolled out of the darkness, and your eyes widened, wheezing breath getting caught in your throat when you looked up at it.

It was huge. Almost seven feet tall, wide shouldered, muscled like an Olympic weight lifter, pale white 'eyes' and a mouth full of fangs. A long tongue licked at it's bloody talons, curling around the digits to clean them of gruesomeness before it was pulled back into that great maw.

Holy fuck, you were about to die.

It didn't seem all that happy to see the terror on your face. Again that weird rumbling, rock-grating sound, came from it. Was it... holy fuck... was it _purring?_

"W-Wha... _what_..." Oh Gods, you knew what it - what he - was. He'd been all over the news, picture plastered everywhere. "Y-You're Venom."

He looked absurdly pleased. "YOU KNOW OF US?"

You bit back the first retort that came to mind, not wanting to piss him off. You'd seen what he did to people he was pissed off at. Worse yet, you'd read horror stories about what happened to the people who crossed his path. "N-Newspapers... I read about you in the newspapers."

"BAH. THEY PRINT LIES. WE DON'T RUN AROUND KILLING AT RANDOM. WE CHOOSE OUR PREY VERY CAREFULLY." He moved then, towards you, and you froze as he crouched next to you, reaching out with one long, dangerous, talon, slitting the leather sleeve of your jacket as if it was paper. You couldn't hold back a noise of pain as he peeled the leather, sticky from your blood, from your arm, baring the ugly, bleeding, gash from the switchblade. "OUR POOR LITTLE STAR."

You frowned. Maybe it was the shock settling in, maybe you were losing your mind. But you didn't get the feeling that Venom was going to kill you. Why bother showing worry if his intent was to fillet you? "Why... why do you keep calling me that?"

"LITTLE STAR? PEOPLE CALL THE MUSIC MAKERS ON THE RADIO 'STARS'. WE LIKE YOUR MUSIC BETTER," and he gave you a happy, if slightly terrifying, grin, "SO YOU'RE OUR LITTLE STAR."

You didn't have anything to say to that. Luckily, he seemed too engrossed with eyeing your arm to notice. You hoped he wasn't hungry.

"OUR OTHER HALF SAYS YOU NEED STITCHES. WE'LL BRING YOU TO A HOSPITAL."

"...I can't afford to go to the hospital," you admitted, glancing away when Venom looked at you worriedly. "Besides, some of the doctors don't treat the homeless."

"THEN WE WILL BRING YOU TO OUR NEST!" He seemed absurdly happy about this. You were less so. "WE HAVE WHAT OUR OTHER HALF CALLS A 'FIRST AID KIT' THERE."

You opened your mouth to argue when he curled his right hand into a fist, something shooting out from the back of his hand and onto your arm. Baffled, you looked down, blinking at the odd stuff - webbing? - that was hiding the wound from view. You were still stupidly staring at your arm when he moved again, far too quiet for someone that huge, and you gasped as you were lifted off the ground, held against a wide chest like you were some breakable, treasured, thing as he rose to his full height.

And, of all things, Venom moved to grab your guitar case, an inky black tendril looping around it and lifting it to his back. A similarly black oozy bit curled itself around your waist, tethering you to him, the warmth of it seeping through your tee shirt and warming your flesh. You could feel the talons of his hand clutch at your hip as he effortlessly hefted you close and carried you out into an open patch bereft of trees.

"HOLD TIGHT, LITTLE STAR."

You were going to ask why, when he rose his free arm, more webbing shooting out, and the next thing you knew you were swinging through the air at a speed generally reserved for airplane takeoffs. Everything went by in a blur, and you couldn't help the high pitched noise of alarm that warbled out of you when you saw how high the two of you were, your hands latching onto the arm that was wrapped around you.

A rumble left the large chest you were hiding your face against as the two of you left the borders of the Park and headed into the city proper. "SHH, LITTLE NIBBLE. YOU'RE PERFECTLY SAFE. WE'D NEVER DROP YOU."

"It's not the fall, it's the sudden stop," you blurted out in a moment of snark, feeling his chest vibrate at the low, deep, chuckle that left him.

You tried to keep track of where Venom was bringing you, but damn, he was fast. He'd slowed his web-slinging a little when he realized you were hesitantly looking around, but things still went by way to fast for you to figure out where the hell you were.

Ten minutes later found you dangling in his grip again as he twisted and landed on the side of an older building, sticking there like the spider that was emblazoned across his back and chest. A nearby neon motel sign cast odd coloured shadows across Venom's inky black hide as he wall crawled over to a fire escape, righting both of you before he reached out to open an unlocked window.

Seriously, you couldn't understand how he could be so nimble, but he got the two of you through said open window without dropping you, and carried you over to a couch, setting you down as if you were made of glass. Which, judging by how your ribs and arm felt, wasn't too far off at the moment.

"WE KNOW YOU'RE STILL AFRAID," he frowned as he knelt in front of you, tall enough that even kneeling, you were still at eye level with each other. "OUR OTHER HALF WANTS TO TEND TO YOU. HE THINKS IT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE."

That had been bugging you for a bit. "Other half?"

"YOU'LL SEE. WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU, LITTLE STAR." Venom did that odd purring/rock tumbler sound again, and you did your best not to press yourself back into the couch when one large taloned hand rose to tenderly brush your hair out of your eyes.

You watched, shocked, as that inky blackness uncurled from Venom's face and neck, little tendrils twitching away to bare a human face. A rather concerned human face that you recognized all too well. " _Eddie?!_ "

"Um... Hi?"

"' _Hi?!_ '" You knew your voice was about three octaves too high, but really, what the hell else were you supposed to do? "What the _fuck?!_ "

You must have looked like you were about two heartbeats away from completely freaking out, because he rose his hands placatingly towards you as the blackness moved around him, forming jeans and that hoodie that he'd been wearing when he'd taken you out for coffee. "We'll explain everything, we _promise_. Just, let us take care of that arm before the webbing dissolves completely and you start bleeding again."

It took everything you had not to kick him. It would have made you feel better, but self-preservation quickly reminded you that kicking Venom was a ridiculously bad idea.

You'd known Eddie for a handful of hours, not enough to build up the trust he was asking you to put in him.

But... he trusted you enough to show you that he was Venom. Brought you to his place - a place that you could lead police to if you wanted to. A place where you were certain that someone would be able to hear you if you started screaming.

And he-slash-Venom had saved you from a fate that you didn't want to think about. A fate that happened to women on the street far too often. Those men were probably planning on raping you and possibly leaving your corpse in the Park for some poor morning jogger to find. And Venom, of all people, the monster of San Francisco that had a reputation for killing first and never asking questions, had treated you like a treasured possession.

Your head hurt.

"...okay," you murmured, finally, sighing when the worry on Eddie's face morphed into a relieved smile.

You really needed to figure out a way to harden yourself against the kicked puppy look.

So you valiantly didn't run screaming from the apartment when he left you to go get the first aid kit. If you were honest with yourself, you felt like hammered crap. Your ribs were killing you, your right arm felt like it had been filleted, and, yup, a quick feel confirmed that you had a rather impressive bump on the back of your head.

You needed to win the lottery in order to get a vacation from your life.

Eddie returned just as you were starting to think that he was hiding from you, carrying a small bright orange case with the standard white cross on it. He retook his spot in front of you, pulling a coffee table close so he could sit on it, the piece of furniture creaking a little at his weight as he set the case onto the couch next to you and started rifling through it.

After shucking out of the remains of your leather jacket, you stared at him expectantly, until he sighed and shot a wry smile you way.

"Remember that airplane crash in the Park a few months ago?" he asked as he pulled out a pack of steri-strips and a roll of gauze. When you nodded he pressed on. "It wasn't an airplane. Think spaceship. I don't really know where it came from, but the Life Foundation took a real unhealthy interest in it. They found symbiotes, like my Other. Thought the aliens could help them push humanity to it's next step of evolution. I was a reporter at the time and I... pushed some buttons, got a little too close to the truth. So they ambushed me, used me for one of their experiments."

"And you became Venom."

"Yup. Took a bit to work out a good partnership - for the symbiote to get used to me. It's predatory by nature. It didn't really understand things like morals at the time. But I can either be a happy host or a pain in the ass host, so we worked out some boundaries. It can hunt all it wants - but only the bad guys, like the assholes that did this to you."

You absorbed that for a moment, blinking as Eddie gently tugged at the webbing on your arm, little black symbiote tendrils extending from his sleeve, interweaving itself into the web and tenderly peeling it away from your skin. The ugly gash started weeping blood again, and Eddie moved to press a gauze pad to it, murmuring reassurance when you winced.

"That's why you looked at me weird when you heard me sing _Iris_. It was the symbiote, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. We like your voice. And the lyrics kinda... hit a little close to home."

"Oh." Weren't you the pinnacle of conversation? Shaking your head, you let out a sigh and rose your free hand to massage your aching temple. "And the 'little star' nickname?"

"Ah, yeah. I... _We_ , like you. You're pretty and interesting and an amazing singer. We liked our date with you."

You did your best to keep from blushing. Honestly, no one had ever called you 'pretty' or 'interesting' in... You couldn't come up with a time frame. Probably never. "T-Thanks?" Idiot. You really were an idiot. "I mean- Yeah. I liked it too. This is just... Not the way I thought my night would go."

"We're glad we were patrolling the Park," he told you as he put some Polysporin onto the wound then gently started closing the gash with the steri strips, the sensitive, abused, flesh sending a wave of pain up your arm.

"Me too," you admitted softly, mustering up as much of a smile as you could when he rose his gaze to yours. "I owe you one."

He shook his head. "You owe us nothing. Well, maybe another cup of coffee someday soon? If we haven't completely scared you off, that is."

"I'm overwhelmed, but not... not scared off."

"We're glad." A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he finished with the steri strips and started wrapping your arm with gauze. "For a moment there, you looked like you wanted to run screaming from the building."

"With my luck tonight, I probably would have run face first into a telephone pole," you snarked back with a matching smirk, relaxing a little when he chuckled.

He finished bandaging your arm, tying off the gauze with a little bow that made you snort. "There, all done. You can crash here tonight if you want. The couch is a little old, but it's comfy."

You opened your mouth to gently turn him down, then paused and gave it some thought. You were hurt, exhausted, and still a little bit in shock. Your head was throbbing along with your heartbeat, and really, you had zero drive to go sleep on another Park bench. In fact, you were sure that you'd be avoiding the Park like the plague for the next few months.

Sighing, suddenly so tired your bones ached, you met Eddie's gaze again, a small part of you touched by the real concern there. "You sure you don't mind?"

"We wouldn't have offered if we did."

"Okay." You honestly couldn't remember when anyone had shown you real kindness beyond throwing some change at you. And in one day, this guy - and an alien of all things - had bought you coffee and food, gabbed about Blues with you, saved your life, patched you up, and was now offering you a safe place to sleep.

Being overwhelmed wasn't doing anything good for your headache.

"Good. Give us a minute, we'll find you some blankets."

"Thank you."

"Don't worry about it."

You worried about it.

Sighing, you looked down at yourself. Disheveled, dirty, hair in disarray, blood spattered, and he called you pretty? You spent a moment trying to fix your hair, combing your fingers through it and picking bits of grass out of it before smoothing your tee shirt into place. Mourning the loss of your backpack with the spare clothes in it, you propped your elbows on your knees and lowered your face into your hands.

Your life was officially weird.

And goddamn, your head hurt.

Nearly silent footsteps made you look up, blinking tiredly as Eddie carried a blanket and pillow over to you, along with a glass of water, and thank God, a bottle of tylenol.

"Thought you might want some painkillers."

"I'd stick them to my veins if it was an option," you admitted with a crooked smile, liking his easy chuckle as he handed the water and tylenol to you. "Thanks."

"No problem." While you chugged down the maximum amount of pills that the bottle said you could have, Eddie puttered around you, readying the couch for you to sleep on. "There. All done. We still have some patrolling to do, will you be alright on your own?"

"Yeah. I'm just gonna crash. Go. Save more people. Do your hero thing."

He froze halfway to the window, turning wide steel blue eyes towards you. "Hero?"

You toed off your sneakers, pausing to relocate the pillow to the opposite site of the couch so you wouldn't be lying on your busted ribs. "Well, yeah. You save people right? Makes you a hero in my book."

There was a long moment of silence before a low rumble emanated from behind you, making you stiffen as you twisted to look at Venom.

"YOU CALLED US A 'HERO'."

"Yeah."

"NO ONE CALLS US A HERO. THEY USUALLY JUST SCREAM AND RUN AWAY."

You winced a little at that. "I'm sorry. In my defense, I'm not used to seeing people ripped apart."

"OH. OH NO, LITTLE STAR. WE DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT." He moved forward, reaching over the back of the couch to lightly brush the curve of a talon across your cheek. "WE'D FORGIVE YOU EVERYTHING."

"...why?"

He gave it some thought. "YOU ARE LIKE US, IN A WAY. ALONE, SHUNNED, MISUNDERSTOOD." You glanced away at that, feeling too exposed, eyes hot, hands clutching at the edge of the couch cushions you were sitting on. It must have shown, in the slouching of your shoulders, the tension in your frame, because he made that weird purring sound again, leaning down over the back of the couch to nuzzle at you. "SHH. NO TEARS, PRETTY LITTLE STAR. WE DIDN'T MEAN TO MAKE YOU UPSET."

"It's been a long night," you muttered. It took effort to reign in your emotions, gathering them up and shoving them down into the pit of your stomach, where the chasm of numbness that allowed you to survive lay. You were too raw, too unsettled and off balance. God, you'd give anything for a stiff drink. Or five.

Venom ran his talons through your messy hair, the motion oddly soothing. "YOU WILL BE SAFE HERE TONIGHT. WE WILL BE NEARBY, CLOSE ENOUGH TO COME TO YOUR AID IF YOU NEED US. GET SOME SLEEP, OUR STAR. THINGS WILL BE BETTER IN THE MORNING. WE'LL BRING YOU COOKIES!"

The absurd joy in his voice, as if cookies would fix every problem in your world, pulled an involuntary laugh from you. "Cookies?"

"CHOCOLATE CHIP! WE LIKE CHOCOLATE." With a final nuzzle, Venom pulled away, giving you a pat on the head of all things before heading for the still open window. "SWEET DREAMS, LITTLE STAR."

He was gone before you could come up with a suitable answer. You were beginning to think that everything that had happened that night was the beginning of your descent into madness.

Rubbing at your face, you spent a long moment staring down at your feet, idly noting that you really needed to invest in socks that didn't have any holes in them. "Fuck."

Tired, drained, and just unable to process anything else, you flopped down onto the couch, hissing at the pain in your ribs. Once the sharp agony had lessened to a dull throb, you swung your legs up onto the cushions, then curled up onto your good side.

Yawning, you threw an arm out, groping blindly, before managing to tug the blanket that Eddie had draped over the back of the couch down onto yourself, wriggling a little until you were settled.

The couch _was_ comfy.

.

.

.


	2. Chapter 2

.

.

.

You don't know how long you slept. Long enough that when consciousness started to rear it's ugly, unwanted, head again, you became aware of the sounds of San Francisco in the morning pouring through the open window at your back. Traffic, muffled conversations, dogs barking. The buzz from the neon sign across the street was gone, meaning that the sun was high enough that the Motel didn't need to bother with the bright signage.

Honestly, you still felt like hammered crap. You ached, _everywhere_. As you slowly woke up, you became aware of the unhappy state of your left side, the dull throb in your arm, and the feeling of something not unlike a sledgehammer pounding away in your head.

A pained noise left you as you shifted a little, testing how much you could move your unhappy body. At least your legs were intact, though you suspected your knees were a little bruised from when you'd kneed one of your attackers in the ribs.

It took you a few moments to figure out if you could go back to sleep or not, and when it became obvious that there wasn't a chance in hell of going back to dreamland, you sighed and finally opened your eyes.

And promptly had to muffle a laugh when you saw the plate of cookies on the coffee table in front of you.

Who knew that the demon of San Francisco would turn out to be a big sweetie.

You paused. Re-examined that thought.

Yes. You had lost your damn mind.

Groaning, you slowly swung your legs over the side of the couch, sprawled there for a moment, then pushed yourself upright, the blanket slipping off your shoulders.

"Owwww. _Fuck_." That seemed like a good first sentence of the day. You rose your good arm, idly running your fingers through your hair, gaze calmly cutting across the small apartment, pausing in surprise when you saw your backpack sitting next to your guitar case. You'd lost it during the fight... He'd gone back to look for it?

Stunned all over again, you clenched your hands on the edge of the couch. Twelve years on the streets, and it was someone who the City considered a monster that showed you the most compassion.

The sound of rattling keys drew your gaze to the apartment door, watching tensely as the lock turned before Eddie swung the door open. You relaxed a little, before tensing again when you saw that he was holding a large paper bag and carrying two large coffees on one of those cheap drink trays.

His gaze instantly sought you out, a smile easing the worry lines at the corners of his eyes when he saw you. "Hey! You're awake!" That smile wavered a bit when you couldn't quite muster up a return expression that wasn't on the verge of tears. "Are you alright?"

"You went back for my bag?"

"Yeah. We noticed it was missing. Why? What's wrong?"

You swallowed past the lump in your throat. " _Thank you_."

He approached you a little warily, as most men did when confronted with a weepy female. "You're welcome."

You hands had a tremble to them, but you managed to accept the coffee he held out to you without spilling any. "I'm sorry," you murmured, dropping your gaze from his, free hand rising to rub at your eyes. "It's just... No one's ever... _helped_ me. I mean, some people offer me a sandwich or something, and if the nice cook is on shift at a diner that lets me through the front door, I sometimes get a free piece of pie... But... No one's ever... _cared_."

Your gaze stayed stuck on the floor until Eddie moved to sit next to you, the couch sinking a little at his weight and making you lean into him. You debated shuffling away, but stayed put, fingers curling around the paper cup that held your coffee.

"We're sorry. We- _I_ \- did a piece back when I was still a reporter. Lived on the streets for a week. I could barely hack it." His voice gained a wry edge. "Damn near got myself killed when I slept in the wrong bus shelter."

"The Park's safer." You realized what you had just said and winced. "Usually."

"Point is, the way people treat others less fortunate than them sucks. It's not right. I used to help out; soup kitchens, donations, that kinda thing. Got a little harder once I lost my job and became enemy number one." His hands fisted, his frame tensing, before he sighed and relaxed again. "We spend a lot of time looking out for the homeless now, going after the worst of the worst; drug dealers, gangs, pimps. General assholes that pick on the weak. We scavenge enough money to rent this small apartment and survive off of, but the rest we give back."

You asked the question that had been bugging you since he'd started talking. "Is that what this is? Charity?"

" _No_. We- _I_ genuinely like you. The symbiote - it's more forward about it, yeah. Doesn't quite get the whole 'dating' thing... Or the whole 'boundaries' thing." His gaze was earnest when Eddie met your gaze. "I really was looking forward to seeing you again. Hadn't planned on it happening _this_ way, mind you. I was hoping for something less... traumatic."

"No offense, but I would have preferred the less traumatic option too." Deciding that you had wallowed in your own misery for long enough, you put a little bit of space between the two of you so you weren't leaning up against him anymore, then pried the plastic top off of your coffee and carefully sipped at it. "Thanks for the cookies, by the way."

"Hah. No problem. Here." The bag he'd set on the coffee table crackled as he rummaged in it, pulling out one of those breakfast sandwiches made with egg and bacon. "We brought breakfast, too."

"You're gonna spoil me."

He gave you a warm smile. "We hope so."

You felt a blush warm your face as you set your coffee down and accepted the sandwich, unwrapping it before taking a bite. It was warm and greasy and so damned good. It was only when you felt him staring that you glanced back at him, blinking when you saw that he was frowning down at your side, where your tee shirt had ridden up a little.

Unnerved by his dark gaze, something that let you know that Venom was close to the surface, you shifted and pulled the hem of your shirt back down. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

He ignored you and pressed the palm of his hand against your ribs, his frown turning into a scowl when you winced and shuffled away from him. "Where else are you hurt?"

Hesitating only made his frown worse, so you sighed and gave in. "My head. They brained me with a thrown flashlight."

His fingers instantly slid into your hair, gently feeling for the bump, a low mutter leaving him when he found it.

"I've had worse," you offered, and if that wasn't the wrong thing to say, you didn't know, because his expression darkened further. Anger seemed to be a trigger to things, because you had a front row seat to watching the symbiote flush black around Eddie, covering him from head to foot, those pale eyes and that toothy maw forming in seconds.

"THEY HURT OUR LITTLE STAR!" Venom snarled, those teeth knashing, taloned hands curling into fists, and you tried to be subtle as you edged away from the huge ball of rage next to you.

You couldn't help but protest. "It's not that bad."

Those pale eyes narrowed as he turned his attention onto you. Some tiny, mouse-like, instinct in the back of your brain screamed at you to run. But all you could manage to do was lean back a little and swallow the 'eep' that threatened to escape your throat.

"LITTLE STAR, WE CAN SMELL YOUR PAIN. DO NOT LIE TO US."

"I'm not _lying_. All things considered, a few bumps and bruises is nothing compared to what could have happened." A sigh left you as you shook your head. "I live on the streets, Venom. Don't think I don't know what they wanted to do to me."

He visibly tensed, hissing angrily, the sound like a dozen huge, angry, snakes. For a moment, you thought he was going to snap and throw something out the window; you got ready to jump off the couch, just in case. But he stilled, head tilting a little. Maybe Eddie was talking to him, you had no idea, but after a moment, Venom relaxed, one massive arm wrapping around your shoulders to tuck you up against his side.

Definitely didn't have a clue about boundaries.

Sighing, you forced yourself to relax, feeling his chest vibrate against your cheek when he started purring again. Venom was big enough, even sitting down, that he was able to lean over you, resting his chin on the top of your head.

"OUR STAR, WE WILL KEEP YOU SAFE. YOU CAN STAY HERE, WITH US, AT OUR NEST."

You tried to pull away to meet his gaze, but he held you tight, so you settled for gently elbowing him. "Is that just you offering or is Eddie in on this too?"

"EDDIE WANTS YOU TO BE SAFE. WHERE SAFER THAN OUR NEST?"

Silence fell as you gave that some serious thought. Everything was going way faster than you were comfortable with, but they were letting you crash on their couch, not asking you to marry them. And, honestly, the thought of not having to sleep on another Park bench for a while was oh so tempting. "...if this is going to work, I want to contribute to the rent. I don't make much, but if I'm going to crash on your couch, I at least want to pay my share."

A thoughful rumble left him. "WE WOULD NOT REQUIRE IT OF YOU, LITTLE STAR," Venom told you, pausing afterwards before huffing. "OUR OTHER HALF SAYS THAT WE MUST ALLOW YOU THIS. WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT, BUT WE WILL RESPECT YOUR CHOICE."

"Thank you."

"YOU ARE WELCOME." An inky black tendril lashed out from his left forearm to snatch up a cookie and press it into your hands. "HAVE A COOKIE. CHOCOLATE IS ALWAYS GOOD."

You laughed, softly. "Yes, it is."

"IT IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS." Three cookies vanished into his maw, fangs making short work of them, tongue licking up any crumbs before he reached for more.

You left them to him, finishing your own cookie before taking a drink of your coffee, humming at the rich taste. Reached for your half-eaten breakfast sandwich, then wished you could vanish into the floor when your stomach growled, pulling an amused chuckle from the large form next to you.

"OUR POOR, STAR. HERE, THERE ARE MORE SANDWICHES." Venom seemed absurdly happy that he could offer you more food as he held the paper bag out to you, and you blinked as you took a peek into it.

"I can't eat all this," you protested. There were six more sandwiches in the bag. Even on your hungriest days, you couldn't manage all of that in one go. "What about you? This is your breakfast too. Here."

"TAKING CARE OF US NOW, LITTLE STAR?" Chucking deeply - it still sounded a little terrifying - he let you push four sandwiches into his taloned hands. You were just getting used to sitting next to Venom, all chummy while eating breakfast, when the symbiote suddenly shifted, retreating from Eddie's face and reforming as his clothing.

You felt a little bad that you felt relief at that. "What'd I do?"

"Oh, nothing. I like these more than the symbiote does," Eddie grinned, unwrapping a sandwich and taking a huge bite. "And it hates the taste of coffee."

"That's a travesty."

"Yup." He polished off his first breakfast-egg-n-bacon artery attack sandwich, and started in on his second. "Mm. We'll give you the very tiny tour once you're done eating. Figure you might want to take a shower - you still have grass in your hair."

Oh good lord. You couldn't help but shoot your hands up to frantically pat your hair for the offending greenery, scowling when you discovered not only grass, but a twig. "Son of a bitch."

Eddie laughed at your antics. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm a walking dirt ball! Oh crap, what if I dirtied your couch?"

"It's a couch. Doesn't matter."

You made an angry, irritated, sound. Then gave up and went back to eating your breakfast. Food now, shower after, then you'd check to make sure your guitar was still playable. God only knew what you'd do if it was broken - the case protected it from the elements, but not from being thrown around like it had been the night before.

It occurred to you then, to figure out where the hell you were. "So, how far is this place from that coffee shop?"

"Twelve blocks." Well, that wasn't as bad as what you had been thinking. "We could always websling you there."

"Can you go at a pace slower than the space shuttle take off?"

The gleam in his eyes let you know that he was trying hard not to laugh. "We can probably arrange that."

"Alrighty then."

He did give you the tour after you had both eaten, and it was a short one. The apartment might not have been large, but it was tidy. The open concept kitchen was connected to the living-room, with Eddie's bedroom to the side, across from a medium sized bathroom. He explained that he and the symbiote didn't need much, and really, when one was enemy number one, one needed to be able to run at a moment's notice.

So you didn't ask about the sparse furnishings or lack of any decor. At least he had an extra towel for you to use, and the building had a laundry room down in the basement - it'd save you a trip to a laundromat to clean your clothes. Luckily the extra outfit in your backpack was freshly washed.

He left you in the bathroom with an apology about the masculine shampoo and soap. You didn't much care - soap was soap, clean was clean. The breadbag he'd given you to keep the bandage on your right arm dry smelled stale, but really, what else was there? You used a hair elastic to tie off the bag at your upper arm.

Despite the urge to use all the hot water, you limited yourself to a ten minute shower, scowling at the dirt and bits of grass that ran down the drain. Honestly, you must have looked like a mud ball with legs. What the hell.

When you were done, you stepped out and wiped away the steam on the small mirror above the sink, staring at your reflection. Too skinny, dark bags under your eyes, skin darkened from being in the sun all the time. A pale scar cut across your left cheek, a gift from your past. And really, you needed a haircut. The lack of scissors in the bathroom kept you from doing the job yourself.

Your left side was covered in a huge black and blue bruise, and you sunk your teeth into your lower lip as you forced yourself to prod at the site. Long practice of treating your own battle wounds gave you the insight that your ribs were bruised, but not broken. That was a relief.

Shaking your head, you quickly dried yourself, then yanked some fresh clothes out of your backpack, hopping into a clean pair of underwear before fighting with your bra as you tried to tug it into place while your skin was still damp.

It took another ten minutes to comb out all the knots and tangles in your hair, your right arm aching with every move. It especially didn't like it when you rose your hands to pull your hair into a loose ponytail, snapping an elastic into place to hold your locks up off the back of your neck.

Your jeans were loose when you put them on, and you needed to add a belt to keep them from falling off your hips. It was a sign that you'd been skimping too many meals, but really, no one gained weight while they were homeless. Not unless they were crooked.

The tee shirt you pulled on was a little threadbare, but good enough, the material still soft. Yay for fabric softener. Even your socks were nice and soft. One of the best uses of an extra seventy-five cents in a long time.

You left the bathroom feeling the most human you'd felt in a long time, headache, filleted arm and pissed off ribs be damned.

Eddie was sitting on the couch, watching TV, when you reentered the 'living-room', dropping your bag next to your sneakers before grabbing your guitar case and plopping down next to him.

You did your damnedest not to blush when he gave you a visible once over. "You look better."

"Easy to do when I'm not sporting greenery," you joked, setting the guitar case on the coffee table before flipping the latches open.

Someone must have been looking out for you, because the blue acoustic guitar that was bared to your eyes when you flipped the hard case open looked to be in one piece. You let out a breath that you hadn't known you were holding, hands reaching out to carefully lift it into your arms.

Your fingers brushed over every part of it, checking the body and neck for any cracks or damage. Each peg and string carefully examined. The strap was a loss, but you knew a music store that would sell you a new one - you visited it often enough. With all the playing you did, you needed to replace the strings at least every six weeks.

You became aware that Eddie was watching you. "I was so afraid it'd be broken," you admitted to him, reverently brushing your fingertips across the faded blue paint. You _itched_ to play it, to check if it was still in-tune after all of it's abuse, but you held back, unsure if Eddie would be alright with it.

Wary, you sent a questioning look his way, meeting his gaze. "Is it okay if I...?"

He seemed genuinely surprised that you thought you needed his permission. "Of course! Don't let us stop you. We like listening to you play."

You tried your best not to blush at that, but the heat on your face let you know you'd failed spectacularly. Avoiding his gaze with practice born of stubbornness, you mentally fiddled over what to play. You really didn't feel like singing, which cut down your repertoire significantly.

Your fingers tapped the strings for a moment, buying yourself time by testing the tone of each one, before you resettled your guitar against you and started playing what, in your opinion, was a song that all guitar players should know: Classical Gas.

It was a cop-out, you knew it, Eddie probably knew it, the symbiote - who knew what it thought? Still, it was something that kept you feeling comfortable, settled. You could practically play the song in your sleep, fingers moving across the strings confidently. The familiar chords were calming, and for a moment, you could move past the lingering anxiety and nervousness that the previous night's events had left in you.

By the end of the song, all the tension had drained from your body. You felt as if you'd been breathing shallowly for however long it had been since the attack, and only now were you able to take in that deep breath that allowed you to finally relax.

A moment of silence went by before enthusiastic clapping reminded you that you weren't alone. Blushing - there was no way to stop it - you looked over at Eddie, who was smiling at you.

He was kind enough not to comment at how beet red you had become. "That was amazing."

Really, your face could quit emulating a tomato any moment now. "T-Thanks. It's not... It's nothing big, but it's one of my favorites."

"It's big to the rest of us who can't play," he reminded you gently.

You blinked. "Ah... Yeah, I forget that sometimes." A wry huff of laughter left you as you lowered your gaze to the guitar in your arms, fingers lightly brushing against the faded blue paint. "I've known how to play for what seems like forever. Hell, I've played a perfect song while drunk off my ass."

At his curious look, you shrugged. "I may or may not have been challenged to a drinking contest," you explained with a smirk. "Won over five hundred bucks that night. But, holy _crap_ , the hangover the next day almost wasn't worth it. Almost."

Eddie chuckled. "What'd you do with all your winnings?"

"Got some clothes at a thrift store, new case for the guitar, new strings, and then gave the rest to some other homeless musicians I know that play at a couple of the train station stops." You moved to set your guitar back into it's case, smiling sadly. "Used to know a girl who could play the violin like a pro. She could make that thing _sing_. Don't know what happened to her, she vanished last year. Bunch of us looked for her for a month. I like to think that she made it as a musician, she was certainly talented enough. Makes it easier to keep going."

"We're sorry," he murmured, resting a hand on your arm.

You shrugged, voice tired. "It's part of living on the streets. You lose people. Sad thing is, you kinda get used to it after a while."

"It won't happen to you." There was a protectiveness in his voice that surprised you. When you turned to look at him, there was a determined scowl on his face.

"Eddie-"

"No. We... we don't have many friends. We... _I_... know this is fast, but..."

"It's okay," you reassured him. "I haven't run screaming from the building yet, have I?"

A low, amused, laugh left him, his gaze lowering when you rest your hand over his. "No. No you haven't."

"There you go. Just... give me time to get used to... well, _everything_."

He rose his free arm, the symbiote flushing black and covering this hand in inky flesh that ended in wicked talons. "It is a bit much, isn't it?"

"Tiny bit."

"We'll try not to overwhelm you."

You smiled at the warmth in his gaze. "I'll let you know if you are."

.

.

.


	3. Chapter 3

_The chapter uploading speed might slow down - I'm heading out to help a family member recover from a surgery. Might not have a lot of downtime to write. I'll try, I will, but I can't promise anything. Also, you can thank my insomnia for this chapter - no sleep gives me lots of time to write, haha._

.

.

.

The next two weeks went by in as normal a way as they could, considering that you were bunking with two people sharing one body, and one of those people happened to be Venom.

Luckily, neither Venom or Eddie ever stopped you from trekking to your usual corner every morning, but more than once, you'd caught a glimpse of a rather familiar form milling nearby - or a dark form on the roof above - keeping a diligent eye on you.

One day, you'd finished up and started to pack everything away, and the next thing you knew, Eddie was just _there_. You'd merely quirked a brow at him in askance, rolling your eyes at the embarrassed look he gave you in return.

The symbiote, Venom, was apparently ' _territorial_ ' as Eddie had explained sheepishly. Apparently, you were now considered almost as important as the alien's bonded host, and it's constant mental complaining that you were out and potentially in danger had made Eddie acquiesce to it's prodding and venture out to keep an eye on you.

Poor Eddie.

Still, it was nice to have someone around. Not at all what you were used to, but not unwelcome.

Dealing with Venom was something else entirely. The symbiote was extremely touchy-feely, and it had taken almost a whole week for you to get used to that. He'd been surprisingly patient about it, letting you set the pace; Venom had been overjoyed the first time you'd instigated a hug, snuggling up against his side while watching a movie on TV.

He hadn't let you go until the next morning. You'd fallen asleep against him and in the morning, had learned that Venom had just stretched out along the length of the couch, cradled you with his bigger body, and let you sleep.

Waking up draped across a purring, sleepy, Venom wasn't quite what you had been expecting, but even you had to admit - it had been a long, _long_ , time since you'd felt that safe.

You were still trying to figure out how you felt about that. You'd made it a mission to not get close to anyone, ever. Doing so left you vulnerable, and being vulnerable was dangerous. But Eddie and Venom were getting past the emotional bastion you'd built around yourself, and it was throwing you off balance.

They constantly pampered you. Little things that kept catching you off guard. Eddie showing up to treat you to lunch or dinner. Venom bringing you cookies or taking you webslinging - at a slower pace so you could see where the two of you were going. Eddie surprising you with a new tee shirt he'd found at a record store, or massaging your sore hands after a long day of playing the guitar.

Venom had a habit of cuddling you, squeezing onto the couch with you while you were asleep, his chest to your back and his arms wrapped around you. You woke up to your head pillowed on his bicep and his breath on the back of your neck as he rumbled in his sleep.

You didn't know what do make of it.

So you threw yourself into your usual routine. It was the only thing that was a firm, unchanging, thing in your life - you getting up early every morning and trekking out to your usual corner before heading to the markets in the afternoon.

You started making more money at the markets than at the busy corner across from the coffee shop. It made you give real thought whether it was feasible to even bother staking out that corner every day. Perhaps it was time to move somewhere else. Maybe to one of the train stations nearby; you'd have to find a map and figure out the safest spot.

It only took two songs one afternoon to save up the money for a map of the City. And you'd just manage to purchase one at a pop-up tourist-info stand when a rare thing happened: rain.

Honestly, you'd sworn loud enough that the man at the info booth had tsked at you. You'd shot him a look of death, then shoved the map into your backpack, hefted your guitar case above your head to shield yourself from the rain, and trudged towards Eddie's apartment: there was no use playing in the rain - it would only damage the guitar.

Even with the case partially blocking the rain, you were a sopping mess by the time you reached the apartment. You looked like a drowned rat, you just knew it.

Your sneakers squished as you entered the elevator and thumbed the button to the top-slash-tenth floor. You took the time to wring water out of your hair while thanking any listening deities that the shirt you were wearing was black and thus not see-through when wet.

You were mentally cursing the weather when the elevator doors finally opened, and you squished your way over to the proper door, shoving your right arm - with it's wet bandage - into your bag in a search for keys. After a moment of rummaging for them, you groaned and banged your forehead on the door.

"Eddie, if you're in there, I'm cold and I'm wet and I can't find the goddamn keys and fuck's sake please be home, don't let me be talking to myself out here like some whack-a-doodle - Aha! Keys! Knew you fuckers were in there somewhere."

A chuckle rumbled out from the other side of the door, and you sighed as Eddie opened it for you. He smiled at you as you stood there, soaked to the bone, dripping wet, mildly pissed, hand outstretched with a key held in your fingers. You tried for a glare and managed some odd half quirked eyebrow that apparently looked hilarious because he gave you another look and did a valiant job to keep his laughter in check.

Grumbling, you shuffled past the snickering idiot, flicking your wet fingers at him for effect, a slight smirk tugging at your lips when he gave a squawk of protest.

"That's what you get for laughing at me," you drawled as you circled him to reach the hooks drilled into the wall on the other side of the door, gently setting your guitar case down first before hanging your backpack on one of the hooks and toeing off your wet sneakers. Water squished between your toes from your wet socks, and you heaved a melodramatic sigh, hopping from foot to foot as you pulled them off.

"Hang tight, we'll get you a towel," Eddie told you after closing and locking the door, but you stopped him with a shake of your head.

"Nah. Don't bother, I'm going to get changed in the bathroom." You rummaged in your backpack for your extra clothes, a groan leaving you when you pulled out your spare tee shirt and jeans, the damp material heavy with moisture. "Crap. Waterproof backpack my ass."

Eddie smiled at your dramatics. "Go take that wet stuff off, we've still got a few tee shirts lying around. We'll go get one for you."

There was another of those small things that threw you off balance. You could do nothing but nod in mute surprise, letting him corral you towards the bathroom. Wet, starting to shiver, you closed the door and turned to lay your wet change of clothes on the edge of the tub. Once that was done, you stripped out of your jeans and shirt, hanging them up on the bar that held the shower curtain to dry.

You were halfway out of struggling out of your bra when a soft knock at the door preceded Eddie's arm as he held a tee shirt and a pair of Batman boxers out to you. "Here, babe. They're clean, we promise."

"T-Thanks," you stammered as you accepted the offerings, laughing a little when he blindly waved in your general direction before closing the door again.

You stared down at the clothes for a while, worrying them in your hands. Yeah, he was definitely past your emotional walls and accelerating now.

Shaking your head in a failed effort to clear it, you finished wriggling out of your wet bra and underwear, checked the boxers - just to be sure - and pulled them on. Droplets from your wet pony tail dripped down your bare back, and you reached up to wrench the elastic out of your hair, muttering curses under your breath as you fought and pulled and cajoled it off, yanking a few strands of hair off as you did so.

Once free, you grabbed a towel and viciously ruffled it across your head, no doubt creating lots of tangles as you rubbed and squeezed water from your locks.

Satisfied, and feeling much drier, you hung the towel next to your clothes, then used the comb on the sink to brush the numerous tangles out of your hair, refusing to leave the bathroom looking like you'd stuck your finger in a light-socket. Or like you were in an eighties hair band.

The tee shirt, when you picked it up, smelled of Eddie, and you drank it in, burrowing your nose into the material and taking a deep sniff. Yeah, you were in trouble, you mused as you pulled the tee shirt on, looking down at the ' _Blues Brothers_ ' logo with a smirk.

The soaked, sponge-like, bandage on your arm took a little more finesse to get off. The tape had been waterproof, and it took some hair and skin with it as you peeled it off of yourself, baring the wound to the air. It was almost - _almost_ \- completely healed, pink, puckered, flesh replacing the ugly gash that used to be there.

You left the bathroom while running your fingers through your slightly damp hair, fighting a little with a few remaining tangles as you padded, barefoot, into the living-room.

Eddie looked up from a newspaper when he heard you, and he gave you a heated look, his gaze starting at your toes and slowly traveling up to your face. "That looks better on you than it does on us."

You blushed. Really, blushed; you could feel your face turn red. "Pervert."

"Us? Nooo. Never."

"Yes, _you_." Shaking your head, you went over to your backpack and grabbed the two, wet, maps from it, mentally relieved that you had moved the extra string for your guitar into the holding pouch inside the instrument's case.

Shivering a little, you went and plopped down onto the couch next to Eddie, carefully, gingerly, unfolding the wet map that had cost you five dollars and stretching it out across the coffee table. Personally, you thought five bucks was highway robbery, but you _needed_ that map. "C'mere. You know all the bad parts of town - where would it be safe for me to play?"

He straightened and peered at the slightly damaged map - some street names were a little blurry. "You're changing places?"

"I'm not making good money across from the coffee shop anymore. I made almost triple at the markets this afternoon than I have all week at that corner." You unfolded the Subway map, then refolded it so you could see the appropriate section of the City. "I was also thinking of playing at one of the Subway stops - if it's not already taken. I was going to scout a couple today, but the rain kinda kiboshed that idea."

A frown was sent at the map you were holding. "There are some Subway Stations that are under drug pusher control," he told you, pointing at a few. "Here, here, and here. We've been trying to clear them out, but they're like cockroaches. You kill one, but there's always twenty hiding in the shadows."

"Yeah. I know." At his worried look, you sighed. "I used to play near a small bar." You tapped at a spot on the map. "The one near that little old movie theatre that always plays old movies? It was insinuated that if I helped draw people to him for 'business' that he'd split the take with me. I punched him in the face, kicked him in the knee hard enough that it wrenched sideways, and never went back."

Eddie laughed, low and relaxed. "And here we thought you were gentle and kind."

"I'm gentle and kind until pissed off. If I hadn't been brained by a flashlight in the Park, I'd have held my own against those morons." A self-depreciating smirk tugged at your lips. "I don't do well when hit in the head. Old injury. Made me more sensitive to head trauma."

There was a dark look in his eyes that let you know that Venom was close to the surface. "What injury?"

You hesitated a moment, weighing the pros and cons. Finally, you decided that you trusted him enough to tell him of your past: "Stepmother. Years and years ago. A _lifetime_ ago."

A sigh left you as you stared at the map on the table, not really seeing it. "Dad... Dad died in a car wreck on my sixteenth birthday. She got custody. She was a right _bitch_. Always hated me. But she really flipped after Dad died - he was out buying me a last minute birthday present, _against_ her protests, when a drunk driver t-boned his car. After that, she went mental. Liked to hit me with stuff, like the fire poker. Got a bad concussion from that one, spent a week in a coma at the hospital and another two waiting for my skull to knit enough that I could leave. She lied and said I took a header down the steps, threatened to kill me if I told the doctors anything. I ran away from home after she came at me with a knife." You idly rose a hand to touch the scar on your left cheek. "The streets are safer than being in a room with that woman."

His hands curled into fists, knuckles white, the muscles in his arms turning into corded steel. You let him glare a hole into the coffee table for a full minute before daring to rest a hand on his arm.

"She's not worth it," you told him sternly, feeling him shake a little from his anger as he turned his head to give you a wary look. "She's not worth the energy it takes to even _think_ about her. You go rampaging out after her, like I know _both_ of you are thinking of doing, and all it'll do is make you worse in the end. You go after the people who deserve it: the drug pushers and molesters and killers, and people tolerate that. But you go and slaughter some high class bitch, and _everyone_ will come after you. Because no one will believe you, and they'll certainly never believe _me_ \- because I fucking _tried_ , and they ignored me. So, let it go. Because she's not worth it."

Eddie stared at you, brows furrowing for a moment, before he sighed, his gaze moving to the map on the coffee table as he visibly struggled to reign in his anger. The symbiote that was masquerading as his clothes gave a shudder, like a horse getting rid of a stable fly, flaring black. But it didn't go through with a full change into Venom, merely made an undulating move across Eddie's shoulders before returning to the imitation of blue jeans and a grey tee shirt.

"You're right," he said after another minute of silence - you'd spent the entire time staring at him worriedly. Only then did he turn his gaze back to you, his eyes back to their normal steel blue. "Smart girl."

"Hah, not that smart," you murmured with a self deprecating smirk. "Took me twelve years to figure that out."

He reached out to tuck some hair behind your left ear, then leaned in close to press his forehead to yours. "You're not giving yourself enough credit. Twelve years on the streets after living with someone like that... God, babe, you survived something lots of people couldn't."

You didn't have anything to say to that. You'd frozen when he'd moved into your personal space, and your brain was trying to figure out how it felt about that. On one hand, he was way, way, too close. On the other, he wasn't close enough.

It was when he was starting to pull back that you made up your mind, leaning in to brush your lips over his.

He froze, eyes searching yours for a moment as you sat there, nervous, wondering if you'd fucked up, hands fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. Whatever he was looking for, he must have found, because the next thing he did was to twist so he could slide both hands into your hair, thumbs caressing your cheeks as he captured your mouth.

The kiss was all hunger and heat and want. It had been a while since you'd been kissed, years really, but you couldn't remember it feeling like this. Your hands rose to splay against his chest, not pushing away, just resting, and distantly, a tiny part of your brain that was still working registered the symbiote 'tee shirt' coiling little tendrils around your fingers.

Your breath left you in a shudder when he pulled away, his gaze dark again, but with hunger, not anger, his eyes locking onto your lips when you reflexively licked them.

He groaned, pressing another, brief, kiss to your lips before leaning his forehead against yours again, his breath mingling with yours. You carefully extracted your fingers from the symbiote before curling your arms around his neck, tugging him into a hug.

And promptly loosed a slight yelp of shock when he grabbed you by the waist and hauled you onto his lap so you were straddling him, knees on either side of his hips. A chuckle rumbled out of him as he wrapped his left arm around you, his right hand rising to push your loose hair out of your face.

"Been waiting for you to do that," he admitted with a grin, rubbing one hand against the small of your back while the other slid along your bare left leg, never moving higher than the hem of the boxer shorts you were wearing. "Didn't want to push."

You smirked at him. "We both know I would have let you know if you were."

Mirth made his eyes gain a mischievous spark. "True. But we're- _I'm_ new to this bonded with an alien thing. I wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into. Because I like you, _really_ like you. And so does the symbiote. We're about as far from 'normal' as you can get."

"I've seen 'normal', it's not that great. Rather boring actually." You fixed him with a look, trying to convey everything you were struggling to say. "I'm... I've got baggage, you know that. You're getting past all the walls I've built up to keep people _out_ , and I'm struggling with that, yeah. But... I want this. With you. I guess it would be _both_ of you. I just... I need to work through some stuff along the way."

"We won't push you," Eddie told you, turning his head to place a kiss to your left arm. "If we do, tell us. Though, we would like to take you out a proper date."

A wry smile tugged at your lips, fingers lightly brushing against the nape of his neck. "You mean all the lunches, dinners and whatnot didn't count?"

"Pre-dates." He grinned at the 'are you shitting me' look you gave him. "Totally didn't count."

"There is no such thing as a 'pre-date'."

"Sure there is!"

A laugh bubbled out of you as you leaned in to kiss him again, intending to stop the nonsense before it went any further. "You're infuriating."

He chuckled against your lips. "Part of our charm."

.

.

.


	4. Chapter 4

.

.

.

A whole week went by before Venom decided to show himself to you again. Eddie said the symbiote was baffled about 'odd human courting customs' and was peppering the poor human with questions and ideas, some of which Eddie assured you would never happen. You were a little curious about those ideas, but mental self-preservation and a firm head-shake from Eddie kept you from asking again.

Eddie had taken you out to dinner again, 'a real date', he'd called it, grinning as he'd plopped a helmet onto your head before driving the two of you there on a motorcycle you hadn't known he owned. You'd practically attached yourself to him, arms wrapped tight around his waist - you'd never been on a bike before, and the dangers of cars coming a little too close made your heart race.

He hadn't taken you to a fancy, hoity-toity place, thank God, but to a little Italian restaurant nestled away between a gelato parlor and a small used book store. There had been actual music by a rather talented man with a guitar who played only instrumental songs - you hadn't worked up the nerve to ask him if he had any sheet music you could borrow - and a friendly owner that had given the two of you free tiramisu for dessert when Eddie had mentioned that it was your first 'proper' date during chitchat.

Things got a little hot and heavy on the way home, but both of you knew that things were going a little too fast to just jump into the next step, libidos or not. And Eddie wasn't quite sure what the symbiote thought of the whole thing either - he'd admitted that it had been oddly quiet during dinner and the ride home.

He'd asked you to sleep in his bed with him - just sleeping, he'd _promised_ \- but you weren't ready for that quite yet. Boundaries. Though you were fast approaching the bit where you stopped caring about such things. It was starting to be nice to have someone around that actually gave a shit about you.

So there you were, bunking on the couch again, alone, mentally kicking yourself. _Why_ were you sleeping on a couch when you could be nice and comfy in a bed with a good-looking man? Fucks sake, you needed your head examined.

You managed, maybe, three hours, before something tugged you awake: the smell of coffee.

What the hell?

Grumbling, you pulled the blanket over your head, your body firmly telling you that, _no_ , it hadn't had enough sleep yet and that you were to go back to sleep, come hell or high water.

It hadn't mentioned aliens.

A low chuckle made you pop your eyes open and peer out from under your blanket, the light from the hotel sign across the street casting odd coloured streams across the apartment. Venom was crouched in one of those streams, a smirk on his face as he waved a cup of coffee in front of your face.

"WAKEY WAKEY."

The absurd amusement in his voice made you glare at him, rolling your eyes when he merely snickered in response. "Wha time's'it?"

He didn't seem at all perturbed by your destruction of the English language. "ALMOST TWO, WE THINK."

Two am, what the fuck. "And why, pray tell, are you trying to charm me with coffee at two in the ungodly morning?"

"WE WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING," he told you, grinning when you arched a brow at him curiously. "WE THINK YOU'LL LIKE IT!"

He looked so pleased, so anxious, to show you whatever-the-hell it was he wanted to show you, that you couldn't help but be curious. Shaking your head, you sat up and accepted the cup of coffee, sipping at it. Yup, he'd gone out and gotten you your favorite drink from the nearby twenty-four-hour coffee shop. You hoped that it had been Eddie, and not Venom, that had bought it.

Though you imagined that Venom walking into any sort of shop would have created a large mess of screaming, police cars and bullets.

"COME GET CHANGED." Venom gently tugged you to your feet and then corralled you towards the bedroom, where Eddie had insisted you keep your meager belongings in a dresser drawer. "WE DON'T WANT TO BRING YOU WEBSLINGING IN YOUR PAJAMAS."

"Pushy much?" you drawled, rolling your eyes when he chuckled, gave you a final push into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Wondering what the hell he was planning, you spent a moment staring at the closed door, before shaking your head moving to set your coffee cup onto the top of the dresser. Whatever he was planning, he had his mind set on it, so you had better just go along with it.

It didn't take you long to get dressed in your usual jeans and a tee shirt, pausing to put your hair up into a ponytail before grabbing your coffee again. Venom was pacing a little in front of the window when you reentered the living-room, those pale eyes locking onto you with a predator's intensity that used to frighten you. You'd gotten used to him over time, had come to realize that while he looked terrifying, Venom posed absolutely no danger to you.

"Do I get a hint as to why I'm letting you get me up at his hour?" you teased as you finished off your coffee and moved to hop into your sneakers.

He grinned. "IT WOULD RUIN THE SURPRISE."

"Of course it would. Do I need to steal one of Eddie's sweaters?"

A purr rumbled out of the shadows. "WE CAN KEEP YOU WARM, LITTLE STAR."

You quirked a brow at him at that, but didn't comment, merely walked over to him. It had taken a little while for you to get used to Venom. Even now, as he loomed out of the darkness, leaning down to nuzzle at your cheek, some tiny, instinctual, bit of your brain wailed at you to run. But you ignored it, reaching out to rest a hand on his chest, fingertips feeling the purr that vibrated out of him.

Taloned hands slid around you, lifting you off your feet and into a quick hug before Venom helped you through the window and onto the fire escape. It should have been impossible for someone of that size to fit through such a small window, but he effortlessly slid through, his weight making the fire escape groan a little under you.

You stepped into him as he wrapped an arm and a tendril around your waist, holding you tight to his side. You'd barely managed to curl your arms around his neck when he launched the two of you into the open air, a webline the only thing keeping you from plummeting to the ground below.

Goddamn, you still weren't used to that first terrifying leap into nothingness.

Shivering in the cool air, you turned your face into Venom's neck, receiving a quick nuzzle in return. This wasn't some calm webslinging foray, like the previous times. Where ever he wanted to bring you, he wanted to get there _fast_ , apparently. It was dizzying when you tried to see where the two of you were going, so you kept your face tucked into him.

It was somewhat calming, once you got used to the pull and release of gravity, only Venom's strength keeping you in the air. It was like being on a swing-set while having someone try to push you hard enough that you'd swing right over the top of the bar, only ten times as intense.

You knew the two of you were close to Venom's destination when he suddenly shifted his grip on you, a dark piece of the symbiote lightly curling around your head, over your eyes. A sound of alarm must have left you, because you were instantly aware of his low, rumbling, purr.

"NO PEEKING, LITTLE STAR. WE WANT IT TO BE A SURPRISE." There was a pause, and you knew that he could sense your unease due to your sudden lack of sight. "DO YOU TRUST US?"

It had taken time, but yes, yes you did trust him. Both him and Eddie. With an intensity that almost frightened you. "Yeah. I trust you."

There was the feeling of fangs lightly nipping at your bottom lip. "GOOD. HOLD TIGHT NOW."

Gravity went sideways, his arm tightening around your waist as his swinging style altered, no longer level, but heading _up_. There was the sound of traffic, the smell of salt water, and you had a sense that you were beyond the cloy of buildings. Heard a grunt of effort from Venom before he flipped the two of you forwards into a roll, and all you could do was cling to him and try not to scream.

You felt the impact of a landing echo through Venom's body, felt him straighten, his grip on you shifting as he carefully set you on your feet. His hands moved to your shoulders to steady you when you stumbled a little, talons lightly pricking you through your shirt.

His breath puffed against your cheek as he leaned down, tongue licking at the shell of your ear. "READY?"

You nodded, then blinked when your sight was returned, squinting past the sudden return of vision. It took you a moment, but soon, everything came back into focus, and you rocked back onto your heels and into Venom when you realized where you were.

The top of the Golden Gate Bridge's South Tower.

There was a moment where you wanted to panic, but you pushed that away, taking strength in Venom's presence as he slid his hands down your arms and then around you. You forced yourself to look out across the Bay, and yeah, the stars and moon above, glittering, and reflected against the water, it was beautiful.

Slowly, your heartbeat returned to normal, and you let yourself dart your gaze down to the street far below, and the few cars that were moving across the bridge. Further out, the City glowed, towers of glass and light rising up towards the night sky.

"DO YOU LIKE IT?" Venom actually sounded nervous, and you realized that you had yet to actually say anything.

"It's beautiful," left you in a whisper, and you were afraid the breeze would snatch your words away, but a low, pleased, rumble let you know that he'd heard you.

"THIS IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES," he told you, the thumb of his right hand slipping under the hem of your tee shirt to lightly brush, back and forth, against your stomach. "WE WANTED TO SHARE IT WITH YOU."

You leaned your head back against him, staring up at the night sky. The stars were more brilliant here than in the City, where the lights hid them from view. "I've never seen the stars so clearly."

"WE WISH WE COULD SHOW YOU, LIKE WE'VE SHOWN EDDIE, WHAT THE STARS LOOK LIKE, UP CLOSE. HOW SPACE ISN'T REALLY DARKNESS - IT'S LIT UP WITH STARS, PLANETS, NEBULAS, GALAXIES."

"I've only seen pictures in books," you admitted, your gaze still locked onto the sky. "I wish I could see it."

"WE'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY." He paused for a moment, his arms tightening around you a bit. "IT'S... ODD. SYMBIOTES SHOULD ONLY BOND WITH THEIR HOST. BUT WE LIKE YOU TOO, LITTLE STAR."

Frowning, you turned your head so you could see him out of the corner of your eye. "Is that a bad thing?"

"WE DON'T THINK SO. IT'S JUST... DIFFERENT. LIKE THIS..." Fangs lightly grazed your cheek, hot breath puffing against your skin before a kiss was pressed there. You didn't think it was possible for him not to have those wicked fangs, but he was definitely brushing lips across your jaw.

A shiver wound it's way up your spine as a taloned hand took hold of your chin, his other arm loosening from around your waist so he could coax you to turn in his arms. You moved willingly, blinking up at him as he stared down at you for a long moment before Venom bent down and captured your mouth.

It was _definitely_ different than kissing Eddie. Hungrier, definitely more aggressive, and you felt the hint of teeth on your bottom lip before Venom swept the tip of his tongue past your lips. Luckily he seemed to know better than to overwhelm you with the entire thing, merely exploring your mouth for a moment before pulling back to lick at your lips, then his own.

A deep chuckle left him when it took you a moment to open your eyes again. "MMM. WE LIKE HOW YOU TASTE."

That really shouldn't have made you blush, but it did. And judging by the pleased rumble that left him, Venom could definitely see perfectly fine in the dark.

Your life had officially reached freak factor five.

"AGAIN?" You didn't know if he was asking or begging, but you didn't protest when Venom kissed you again, the deep purr that vibrated out of him echoing into your chest until your bones vibrated in sync. Taloned hands slid into your hair, one claw deftly slicing the elastic, freeing your locks so he could run his fingers through unimpeded.

You only pushed him back when you needed to breathe, gasping for air, only to groan when he ducked his head to nuzzle at your neck, fangs lightly grazing your skin before he gave you an experimental nip. The sting of it lasted only a second, his tongue laving the spot.

"DELICIOUSSSS," left him in a drawn out hiss, his hands sliding down your back to lift you up as he straightened. Your arms automatically went around his neck, knees tucking to his sides to steady yourself, catching sight of his pleased, toothy, grin before a dark tendril curled into your hair and pulled you back down into another kiss.

There was definitely more tongue involved the third time around, and you let him explore your mouth for as long as you could hold your breath before gently tapping him on the shoulder. He relented, allowing you to take in a lungful of air while he dropped his face to your neck again, nuzzling into you with a purr.

And then you let out a shocked yelp when his long tongue snaked down your shirt and into your bra to curl around your left breast, tip lashing over your nipple. Your mind instantly went into the gutter, and it took everything you had to keep a moan trapped in your throat. "V-Venom, whoa there."

His tongue left a slick trail as he retracted it, and the chill that replaced it made you shiver. "WE WANT-"

"I know," you cut him off, breathless, meeting his gaze when he rose his head to look at you. "I _know_. But I... I'm not ready for that yet. I-I like you, and Eddie, both of you. But this is..." Your hands spasmed on his shoulders as you dropped your gaze from his, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I _can't_ -"

"OUR LITTLE STAR." A taloned hand slid up to cup the side of your head, forcing you to stare into pale alien eyes. "TELL US WHO HURT YOU AND WE WILL KILL THEM FOR YOU."

You shook your head. God, you doubted you'd ever be able to be near _anyone_ if _that_ had happened to you. You didn't think you were that strong. "It's not that. I promise. I'm just... I've been alone for so long and I'm not used to anyone _caring_ about me, and it's scary how much I want this to work. I'm afraid you'll come to your senses and realize that this was a mistake-"

He shut you up with a reproving nip to your chin. "WE ARE IN FULL CONTROL OF OUR 'SENSES'," he growled. "BOTH OF US, SYMBIOTE AND HOST. WE WANT YOU. IF YOU WISH TO WAIT, WE WILL, BUT DON'T THINK THAT WE'D DO SOMETHING SO... _HUMAN_ AS TO THROW THOSE WE CARE ABOUT AWAY."

Something in you shivered happily at that, and you really, _really_ wanted to believe him. Harsh reality had taught you otherwise, and it wasn't easy to overcome that. There was no room for argument in his tone, though, and you took some comfort in that.

Another rumbling growl drew your attention back to Venom as he tightened the arm around your waist, his free hand still in your hair moving a little so he could brush his thumb across your lips. "WE WANT TO TASTE YOU AGAIN. CAN WE?"

Heat pooled in your belly, along with relief. You'd been afraid that he, and Eddie, would be turned off by your hesitation. "Yes."

He instantly caught your lips, purring again, and by the time the sound poured into your mouth you were shuddering in reaction. Bravado made you graze your teeth against the tongue that was curled around yours, sucking a little, and the unashamed moan that left Venom, the feeling of his hips bucking into yours, made you gasp.

You had to pull away to breathe, tilting your head back to give him better access when he lowered his face to your throat, licking and nibbling at your skin. You dazedly blinked up at the stars while Venom nuzzled his way to your shoulder, his free hand tugging at your tee until he could he could taste your skin.

"WE CAN _SMELL_ OURSELVES ON YOU," he rumbled happily, fangs grazing you as he spoke. "MMM. WHEN YOU'RE READY FOR US, WE'LL LOVE FINALLY BEING ABLE TO PROPERLY TASTE YOU."

Maybe his plan was to drive you insane until you were ready to take the next step.

You only slightly hated that it was working.

Another shiver wound it's way up your spine. "You're going to turn waiting into a lesson in patience, aren't you?"

A laugh left Venom as he rose his head to meet your gaze again. "PATIENCE IS ONLY USEFUL IN A HUNT. DO YOU WANT US TO HUNT YOU, LITTLE STAR?"

There was something dark in his voice, something that made it clear that he'd love to chase you down. You swallowed around the sudden lump in your throat. "Maybe another night."

"ANOTHER NIGHT," he agreed with a grin, grazing his fangs across your lips before he tilted his head to send a glance towards the moon's position in the sky. "IT'S LATER THAN WE PLANNED. DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE NEST?"

You looked up at the stars. "Can we stay a little longer?"

"FOR YOU? OF COURSE." He gave your cheek a brief lick before moving towards the edge of the tower.

The view straight down to the water far, _far_ , below made you shudder, and you felt Venom tighten his grip on you, a tendril lashing itself around your waist. You thought that maybe he was going to jump, but he merely went to sit on the edge, feet dangling over the disastrous drop. You were set down onto his lap, his arms immediately wrapping around you, keeping you nestled close.

Sighing, you snuggled into him, listening to his purr rumble out of him. It still sounded like a rock tumbler, but you'd long ago gotten used to it. It was calming now, a sign that you were safe - because who in their right mind would dare come after you when you were in Venom's arms?

You spent an indeterminate amount of time just staring out across the Bay, watching as the waves on the water reflected the stars and moon in the night sky. It was peaceful, and beautiful. You'd never seen the night sky like that before.

"Thank you, by the way," you murmured, a little sleepily, smiling when Venom rumbled questioningly. "For bringing me here."

He nuzzled the top of your head, a low, sort of thrumming, noise leaving him. "YOU'RE WELCOME, LITTLE STAR." A pause, then. "YOU'RE TIRED. WE'LL BRING YOU BACK TO THE NEST NOW." You started to protest, but he hissed softly, silencing you. "WE PROMISE TO BRING YOU BACK ANOTHER NIGHT. PROMISE."

You didn't get a chance to say another word before he merely hopped off the edge of the Tower, chuckling when you attached yourself to him as the two of you plummeted down the side of the Tower. He might have been showing off, you had no idea, but he waited until the last _possible_ moment before shooting a web out towards the underside of the bridge, the two of you missing the water by mere inches.

It showed how comfortable you were with him now that you didn't hesitate in whacking him in the arm. "Don't _do_ that!"

He laughed all the way back to the apartment.

.

.

.


	5. Chapter 5

Warning - Kidnapping, Torture and Violence in this chapter.

.

.

.

Things went smoothly for a whole two weeks before everything went to shit. And it went to shit in a spectacular fashion that you - always planning for the worst - hadn't even imagined possible.

You were fast asleep when something, some instinct or gut feeling, woke you up. Blinking, you peered at the shadows of the apartment, the flickering lights from the hotel sign across the street making odd lights dance across the room. Venom was still out patrolling; it was way too early for him to be back yet. So what the hell had woken you?

Frowning, you sat up, pushing the blanket off of yourself and readjusting your tee shirt and shorts as you rose to your feet to check out the rest of the small apartment, just in case.

And promptly got knocked on your ass when the apartment door was blown off it's hinges. Literally.

Dust and debris obstructed your sight as you lay on the floor, a little stunned, ears ringing from the blast. But you could feel movement through the floorboards, heavy boots stomping into the apartment. Lights cut through the darkness, and you got a good look at the fifteen or so men, in heavy armor, that swarmed around and past you.

There was a lot of yelling, instructions and shouts being tossed between the intruders, as the couch was turned over, ten men splitting up to force their way into the small bathroom and bedroom respectively.

The urge to scream at them to find out what the ever-loving _fuck_ they were doing was quashed when you realized that all of them were armed with automatic rifles. Two said rifles were being aimed at you as you sat there on the floor, wide eyes taking in the chaos around you.

It wasn't until your hearing cleared enough to hear the name 'Venom' that you realized what the fuck was going on.

Oh.

Oh shit.

Only when the garrison of what you assumed was a SWAT Team had cleared the entire apartment did another man walk into the now demolished apartment. Clean shaven and apparently unarmed, he was wearing a perfectly pressed suit, a watch that would have fed you for a year had you been able to pawn it, and shoes that you swore had actually been _polished_.

His gazed landed on you, and you automatically hated him when he gave you a mightier-than-thou look over.

The asshole spent a few moments talking with the lead SWAT guy before he scowled and turned towards you again, calmly striding towards you as if he owned the place.

"Get her up," he spoke, and yeah, you hated his voice too. Cool, commanding, as if he expected everyone to jump to it when he spoke.

You fought a bit as two of the gunmen reached down to grab you under your arms, hauling you to your feet. Growling, you wrenched yourself free of their hands once you were upright.

"I'm from the Life Foundation, do you know what that is?" When you merely glared in response, he shrugged. "No matter. I was hoping to find Eddie Brock," the pressed suit asshole walked past you, his gaze calmly taking in the now dilapidated apartment. He paused when he reached the window, reaching out to trace the talon marks in the sill with a fingertip. "I've been hunting him for a long time. He... _took_ something that belongs to me."

You kept your mouth shut as he turned towards you again, continuing to merely glare at him silently. If he thought you were going to rat Eddie out, he was sorely mistaken.

"Surveillance has been trying to track him. We've gotten some footage, not much. But _you_ , I _know_ you. We've got photos of you two together. You're that street performer he's taken an interest in. A _lot_ of interest, if you're living with him."

 _Goddamn_. How the fuck long had this asshole been tracking you and Eddie? You wanted to mouth off at him, but really, with fifteen men armed with assault rifles around you, you really couldn't afford to be snarky at the moment.

The Suit didn't seem impressed by your silence. "I get it," he murmured, smiling. "He took you off the streets. You feel like you _owe_ him something. But really, he's a monster, my dear. He's killed people. Do you not know that? Or do you not care?"

The little censor guy in your brain wasn't fast enough. "Pick one," you snapped, irritated with his attitude.

That got you a rifle butt to the stomach from the gunman to your right. You doubled over, gasping, trying not to puke. Those polished shoes moved into your line of sight. But by then, the urge to throw up had passed.

Pity.

Grunting, you straightened, glaring at The Suit as he came to a stop in front of you.

" _So_. You do know what he is. _Interesting_." The look he gave you was one that someone gave a particularly interesting bug. You sneered back, and that look was replaced by a flash of loathing before he schooled his expression back into careful neutrality. "I'll make you a deal. You tell me where he is, help me _contain_ him, and I'll let you go."

A laugh bubbled out of you before you could stop it. "You're shitting me right? We both know that you're not going to let me go. So why don't you just get on with it instead of blowing smoke up my ass?"

Again, anger made that careful neutrality waver on his face. "Fine," he bit out. "Have it your way. Tranq her."

Hands grabbed you, an epi-pen looking thing jabbing into your left upper arm. You snarled and lashed out, aiming not at the one with the needle, but at the Suit. Your sudden movement despite the tranquilizers that made you instantly dizzy surprised the gunmen at your sides, enough that they didn't grab you in time. You managed to cold cock the Suit in the face. He didn't have a glass jaw, unforunately, but you did manage to break his nose.

Your vision wavered as your legs turned to jelly, a smirk staying put on your face as the Suit swore and clutched as his face.

Your last thought was that you hoped his blood ruined that goddamn suit he was wearing.

* * *

When you woke up, your situation hadn't improved. In fact, it had gotten decidedly worse.

Groaning, you lifted your heavy head from where your chin had been resting on your chest, blinking owlishly. Trying to move and reorient your limbs told you that moving was limited due to the fact that you were tied to a chair, ankles and wrists bound to the uncomfortable thing with metal cuffs.

Your vision cleared as adrenaline flooded you, full wakefulness slamming home. You struggled, because, really, what other reaction was there to waking up tied to a fucking chair?

It was only when the metal cuffs restraining you cut into your skin that you stopped, breathing heavily. You peered past the curtain of your hair, taking in the situation, such as it was.

Small room, lit by loudly humming fluorescent lights. Only one door, metal, heavy looking, with a lock. The walls were sleek metal, almost seamless. You really didn't like the dents and stains that decorated it.

Well, fuck.

Obviously Suit and his fellow assholes had kidnapped you. Venom would lose his shit when he got back to the destroyed apartment.

You only hoped that Suit and Assholes hadn't set a trap.

But then you went still. What better way to lure Venom into a trap than this?

You were _bait_.

The thought made you test your restraints, this time with purpose rather than a panic fueled struggle. The cuffs were strong, but the chair, it was made out of wood, and it creaked a little when you moved from side to side.

The nail marks cut into the arm rests at your fingertips told you that you weren't the first to be invited to such a 'party'. Fucksakes, you were a damsel in distress.

You were mentally trying to figure out if you could topple the chair with enough force to break it when movement from beyond the door drew your attention. There were murmured voices, which meant guards. Probably armed guards, because your luck just didn't seem to be working.

The lock clicked, light from the hallway pouring into the room as Suit walked in - you grinned when you saw the bandage on the bridge of his nose, the bruise that was growing there almost large enough to encompass both eyes.

Hah. Awesome.

It didn't surprise you one bit that the careful mask of neutrality on his face completely vanished when he saw you grinning at him, somewhat maniacally. And boy, the hatred there might have intimidated you had you not already seen similar looks from your psycho stepmother.

"How's the nose?" you drawled, all causal, as if you weren't tied to a chair in an undisclosed location being glared at by an asshole in a suit. It was somewhat disappointing that his clothes seemed blood-free. Maybe he'd actually had to change outfits.

His look of hatred intensified by a few degrees as he stormed forward and backhanded you across the face with enough force that you saw stars. Your brain might have actually rattled a little, and something on his hand, possibly a ring, had split your bottom lip.

You shook your head a little to reorient things. "You're really not too bright, are you? You _really_ think that beating me up is a smart move? Venom's going to rip you apart."

"Don't be so sure," Suit frowned, taking out a kerchief from his blazer pocket to wipe his hand clean, as if touching you had transferred some sort of horrible germ to him or something. "He'll know we have you, of course. We left him very strict instructions. I'll bet he's sweet enough on you that we'll be able to lure him in, like a lamb to slaughter."

"It's funny that you think that. Really, it is."

"You won't be laughing for much longer." It really bothered you that he said that with a smile. It wasn't a nice smile. Kind of a 'I've got severed heads in my basement' sort of smile.

He made a grand show of snapping his fingers, twice, that smile of his growing when two men sauntered into the room. One looked like he'd been in too many fights, all scars and ugly muscle. The other was thin, wiry, but shit, he had a look in his eyes that made you want to pee yourself. You hadn't seen that kind of unsettling emptiness before.

"Your _boyfriend_ killed their friends, back when he escaped. They've been wanting some payback. I thought you could entertain them until the main event." Okay, yeah, this was the point where your bravado wavered. "We need you alive, yes. But not, necessarily in one piece."

Fuck.

The next few hours were a lesson in pain that you never wanted. You'd done your best not to give the watching Suit the pleasure of hearing you cry out as Thug One and Two took turns beating the shit out of you. But when pliers and a hammer were brought into the mix, you couldn't help but scream.

So you screamed obscenities. Biologically impossible suggestions of what they could do with themselves, their mothers, some farm animals, and random household appliances as they ripped some fingernails out of your fingers. Told them to go to Hell, with explicit instructions on how to get there and what they could do when they got there until one kicked you in the chest hard enough to topple you, chair and all.

Once your lungs restarted, and you were lifted back upright, you took pleasure in telling them in excruciating detail what you hoped Venom would do to them. Then Thug One took a hammer to your right arm, numerous times, until one of the bones broke with a snap that pulled a howl from your raw throat. You might have passed out a bit, because things went hazy grey for a moment, at least until Thug Two slapped you back into coherency.

Suit stood there the entire time, causally leaning back against the wall as he watched with a creepy little smile that you wanted to rip off of his goddamn face. Ew, you hoped he wasn't getting off of this.

Just, _ew_.

You ran out of things to yell at them, eventually. Repeating yourself didn't seem to work, and really, your brain was being bombarded with so many pain signals that even breathing was starting to become a chore.

You got some inspiration back when Thug One snipped off your right pinky finger with some wire cutters on a Swiss Army Knife he'd pulled from his back pocket. Didn't bother with words, because your brain was _way_ too addled to make any sentences that made sense, so you just _shrieked_ , screaming and howling, throwing yourself against your bonds like a wild animal.

You took twisted pleasure in seeing all three of them wince at the sheer level of noise you managed to put out. Even managed to spit a glob of blood towards Suit, close enough that he actually flinched away from it and out of it's range. Might be why Thug Two whacked you upside the head with the hammer.

You definitely passed out from that one.

Coherency reared it's ugly head again, but you were alone when it did. You squinted past the blood matting your hair, one eye almost swollen shut, warily taking stock of all the agony that your body was feeling.

The right arm was _definitely_ broken. It wasn't quite normal-looking. And your right pinky hurt like hell, which was weird, because you could see it lying on the floor a little ways away.

Okay, so, the arm was fucked. Your legs hurt from multiple kicks with armored boots, but you could rotate your ankles and feel your toes, even flex your legs, as much as you could in the bindings. So, legs were working. Good. Your chest hurt like hell, every breath tight, so you probably had some broken ribs.

Still, you could breathe without too much trouble. And your left arm was, barring a couple of slashes from the asshole with the Swiss Army Knife, still working.

Your head, on the other hand, might have been a little tenderized. There was a disturbing wet feeling dripping down the side of your skull. _Why_ did _everyone_ have to hit you in the _head?!_ Fucksakes.

Still, you were alone, which was good. You spent the time cataloguing injuries, of which there were many, and carefully testing your bindings. The chair was definitely wobblier than before, your struggling and the rough treatment of you having worsened it's condition.

But, really, you didn't feel like trying to break it, not when you, yourself, felt like so much hammered crap. The thought of trying to fling yourself to the floor to further damage the chair only made you wince - you didn't want to know what kind of pain that would inflict on your poor arm.

So you sat there, breathing deeply, trying not to throw up from a mix of dizziness and general malaise. Might have faded in and out of consciousness, but you couldn't tell because of a general lack of a clock to gauge the whole timeline of things.

It could have been half an hour or three hours, you didn't know. Honestly, you were just glad that no one else had come in to beat you up some more. They had already shown far too much inventiveness and cruelty as it was, you didn't want to experience anything else.

So when a non-descript guard - who, you noted, was armored to the nines with an assault rifle slung over his shoulder - unlocked the door and walked into the room, you didn't do much else than stare, quietly, tiredly. Discovered that, perhaps, not everyone agreed with Suit's treatment of you, because the guard's eyes widened in horror upon seeing you.

The little censor guy that usually kept your mouth under control had been whacked loose. Hence the raspy, exhausted, yet snarky, "When's round two start?" that left your lips.

His gaze darted around the room, and you snorted when he edged away from your severed finger on the floor. "Jesus Christ."

"What? Didn't know that your boss likes to watch people beat the shit out of women?" you growled, wincing at the raw feeling that was your sore throat. "Your two buddies seemed to enjoy it."

A sigh left him as he shook his head, pulling a set of keys out from a pocket on his belt. "Those two psychos aren't my friends," he muttered, before calling to someone out of sight.

You grimaced when another guard came in, his equally horrified expression not really helping you one damned bit. He unholstered his handgun when the first guard moved towards you, Beretta aimed at you warningly as Number One undid the locks around your ankles and wrists.

For a brief moment, you debated trying to run. But the guard aiming a gun at you seemed to know your thoughts, because he frowned and shook his head. Damn.

So you stayed all nice and compliant, too tired and sore to put up a real fight against unfair odds. Instead, as the restraints unlocked, you carefully cradled your right arm in your left hand, hissing at the pain that just a touch caused on your bruised and swollen flesh.

Standing up on wobbly legs, at the direction of a waved gun, almost made you pass out. Everything tunneled, vision going blurry, and you would have fallen if the first guard hadn't steadied you. There was concern in his gaze, actual worry, and it made the tight, frightened, part of you that you were trying to hide rise to the surface.

He must have seen it, because he was so careful with you as he and the second guard marched you out of your cell, the bright lights in the hallway making you wince as a stab of pain went through your aching head.

You were led through a veritable maze of hallways and then into an elevator. It played some off-tune, annoying, muzak as it rose, which made you think that you had been in the basement of whatever building you were in.

There was a fair amount of yelling when the doors finally opened again, and your stomach dropped when you heard it.

Eddie.

" _Where is she?!_ "

Holy hell, you didn't think he could sound that enraged without being changed into Venom.

Worry rose in you as you were corralled towards the commotion, entering a large, open, office space. The glass windows beyond gave you a view that made your stomach drop: it was sundown. You'd been kidnapped at night, which meant that you'd spent an entire day with psycho Suit and his attack dogs.

Fuck.

Suit grinned when you were gently, but firmly, pushed out from the hallway into the open space, and you bit your split bottom lip when Eddie finally saw you. He was surrounded by a good dozen armed guards, all of them aiming sizeable guns in his direction, while Suit stood nearby, flanked by his asshole buddies. But the instant he saw you, Eddie's attention narrowed.

You dropped your gaze from his when he paled, his eyes widening in horror. You hated that you'd been used to bait him into his situation, but seeing his worry laid bare, that was worse. Because Suit knew it now. Knew for certain that he could use you against Eddie, and through him, Venom.

The symbiote flushed back around Eddie as he stared at you in horror, his voice coming out in a rasp full of hate and rage. "We're going to kill you," he snarled, _his_ voice, not the symbiotes. Steel eyes darkened as he turned his full attention to Suit, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

"No. I don't think so." Suit was rough with you as he grabbed you by the hair and yanked you into him, the click of a bullet slipping into the chamber preceding the barrel of a gun that was pressed to your temple. "I think you're going to surrender. I think you're going to let my men put those stasis cuffs on you, and you're going to let them escort you into a holding cell, where I will _rip_ my _property_ from you."

Eddie's gaze darted from Suit to you a few times. You tried to convey with a look that he was not, in any way, to listen to the fuckwit. But either he didn't understand, or refused to listen, because he sighed, the symbiote reforming his street clothes around him, and held out his hands for the cuffs.

" _No!_ " Your shout was cut off when Suit grabbed you, one arm tightening around your throat, the other pressing the gun harder to your temple. Eddie tensed again, eyes narrowing, but didn't move as Thug One moved forward, huge, heavy-looking, cuffs in his hands.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Eddie wouldn't do anything as long as there was a gun to your head. You had to get _away_. Your mind frantically tried to think of something, addled wheels trying to turn through the haze of pain.

And it was so simple.

Suit cursed when you went limp, stumbling against your full weight as you pretended to faint. Hitting the floor sent new waves of agony through you - you'd landed on your broken arm. But adrenaline and fear helped, and you rolled onto your back, meeting Suit's confused gaze as you rose a leg and kicked him square in the balls.

You were getting rather good at that.

He folded with a pained noise that only men could manage, both hands dropping to his crotch. You shot your left hand out, the heel of it catching him square in his broken nose. He howled, cursing, fresh blood flowing down his face, distracting him enough that you managed to get to your knees and wrestle the gun from his hands.

You could see in his eyes that he realized that he should have killed you when he had the chance. That expression vanished when you pulled the trigger.

There was a commotion behind you as Suit's body crumpled to the floor. Screaming, bullets, gunfire. A _roar_ , inhuman and so, so _angry_. Venom had come out to play.

Getting out of the line of fire was plan number one. You scrambled to your feet, gun still clutched in your left hand, and made a beeline for a desk, dropping to do a baseball slide under it. Just in time too. Ducking under it saved you from being brained by a flying torso, blood arching from it like some demented fountain as it flew across the room.

Something was slammed into the ceiling, making it crumble, the fluorescent lights flickering crazily. You huddled as much as you could, gun at the ready, watching as Venom ruthlessly cut his way through any opposition, using fangs and talons and symbiote tendrils to decimate his targets. He was taking a lot of fire, but - and your eyes widened at this - every bullet that hit him was caught and expelled by inky blackness, the crumpled slugs falling to the floor as he waded through the guards.

Boots appeared in your line of sight, hands gripping the edge of the desk you were hiding under and lifting, flipping it over. You stared up at Thug Two, who gave you a look that plainly said that whatever he'd done to you so far was nothing compared to what he was about to do.

Shooting him in the chest was useless - he was armored. So you did the second best thing - you emptied the gun into his left leg, bullets shattering his knee and flaying through his thigh. He went down screaming, landing on you, eyes wild, hands reaching for your throat. The shriek you tried to let out when two-hundred-and-sixty pounds of armored asshole landed on your battered body left you in a pitiful bleat, and you thrashed, kicking, using the gun as a bludgening tool as you tried to wriggle out from under him.

He crawled up your body, good knee jabbing into your ribs, his fingers creeping around your throat... and then he froze. A dumbfounded look appeared on his face before the two of you looked down at the black, taloned, hand that had sprouted from his chest. He managed to give you a final look of defiance before Venom hauled him off of you and threw him through the nearest window.

A pained whine left Venom when he looked back to you, bloodied hands reaching for you only to stop inches away from your body, as if he was afraid to touch you. "LITTLE STAR-"

The blast of a shotgun caught him in the back, those pale eyes widening for a moment before narrowing into enraged slits. He huddled over you as another shot hit him, protecting you from any stray buckshot as a black tendril lashed out from his back, wrapping around the guard that had shot him and tightening, so so _tight_ , the sounds of breaking bones, wet pops, and breathless gurgles signaling the end of the guard.

Only when silence fell did you manage to find your voice, and even to your ears, you sounded, so _weak_. "Can I pass out now?"

Venom crouched next to you, reaching out again, this time scooping you into his arms. You couldn't quite muffle a noise of pain as the motion jarred your broken arm, and he hissed an apology, leaning down to nuzzle at your cheek as he rushed you towards a broken window. "STAY AWAKE. _PLEASE_. WE'LL BE AT THE HOSPITAL SOON ENOUGH."

Shivering, you turned your head to hide your face against his chest, all the emotions you'd kept under control bursting loose, a pained sob leaving you. "Are you okay?"

"US?!" His voice was incredulous and so worried. "LITTLE STAR, WE'RE FAR MORE WORRIED ABOUT YOU!"

Now that you knew you were safe, all the adrenaline and stubbornness that had allowed to you stay conscious ebbed away, leaving you drained and trembling in shock. "I'm sorry..."

"SHHH. NO APOLOGIES." There was a sickening lurch and lack of gravity as he leapt out into the open air, somehow managing to cradle you close with one arm while he used the other to websling across the street. You closed your eyes when the view blurred past, making you dizzy. You were so, so _tired_. "LITTLE STAR! STAY AWAKE! STAR!"

Darkness claimed you.

.

.

.

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

.

.

.

The first thing that registered to you the next time the darkness let you go was some annoying beeping. It was irritating as all hell. You wanted it to stop so you could go back to sleep. When had Eddie gotten such an annoying alarm clock?

But something was off. Everything smelled antiseptic, and there was a dull murmur of nearby voices. Frowning, trying to figure things out - you were missing something, something important - you opened your eyes and blinked up at the white tiled ceiling. That wasn't helpful, so you turned your aching head to the right, staring at the heart monitor for a bleary moment before your mind jump-started itself, your memory blasting back.

Gasping, you jerked upright in bed, eyes wide, the heart monitor giving a warning signal when your pulse rose in conjunction with your panic.

Pain instantly pulled a wheeze from you - your ribs hurt like a bitch.

Slowly, you took stock of yourself. Your old clothes were gone, replaced by a hospital gown that didn't really cover _any_ of your back. Your right arm was encased in a thick cast, hand bandaged to cover the stump where your pinky finger used to be. Band-aids covered some of your fingertips on both hands, where your fingernails had been pulled out. A quick check with your left hand told you that there was a sizable bandage on your head, the slight itch making you guess that your hair had been shaved and scalp stitched closed. Your face hurt, and gentle prodding found a bruised cheekbone, stitches above your right eye and some swelling that meant that you probably had one hell of a shiner.

Slowly, you forced the panic away, the heart monitor stopping it's shrill warning and returning to it's normal, steady, beeping. Tired - how could you be tired, all you'd done was sit up?! - you lay back down, your gaze cutting across the room, landing on the person you'd been hoping to spot.

To your left, slumped in a chair next to your IV pole, looking haggard in his sleep, was Eddie.

Thank fuck. He was alright. Well, alright as one could be. He looked like hell.

Maybe the symbiote woke him up. Maybe you'd made some noise. But as you lay there, staring at him, he twitched in his sleep, mumbling something before cracking an eye open slightly. He peered at you, then closed his eye again, seemingly falling back asleep - only to jolt awake when his brain registered that you were awake and watching him.

He sat there, staring at you for a long moment, before he lunged to his feet, his hands reaching out to cup your face, eyes studying you in stark relief before he leaned down to kiss you, gently, but full of emotion and relief.

You reached up to curl your good arm around his neck, keeping him close. "Hey," you whispered, voice still rough.

His lips tugged up into a crooked smile as he leaned his forehead to yours. "Hey. How do you feel?"

Your gaze slid to the IV pole. "Not too bad. I think they gave me the good stuff."

"Good." He stretched his right foot back to hook the edge of the chair, dragging it close so he could sit and be at your eye level. You were forced to let him go, though as soon as he was settled, he encased your left hand in both of his, gripping tight. "We were so worried. We got to the apartment and-"

You twined your fingers with his when his voice trailed off. "I knew you'd come for me."

He shuddered. "Almost wish they were still alive so we could kill them again," he growled under his breath, lowly, so no one else but you would hear. There was a lot of the symbiote in his voice, and you mustered up a smile when a dark tendril extended from his 'sleeve' to curl around your left wrist, squeezing lightly. "Look what they did to you."

"To be fair, I did get to shoot most of the ones responsible," you drawled, sobering when his expression didn't change. "Eddie, you better not be blaming yourself for this. You or the symbiote. You didn't do this to me, _they did_."

"The remains of the Life Foundation targeted you because of us."

"And now they're all dead. Problem dealt with."

He shook his head. "It's not that simple."

"Yes, it _is_." You tightened your hand around his, squeezing tight, voice still raspy but strong as you spoke. "Are there risks to being with you? Yes. Are they worth it if I get to have you in my life? Also, yes. _Emphatically_ , yes. Shout it from the goddamn rooftops, _yes_."

The pained expression on his face eased, morphing into a wry smile. "Can we pick the rooftop?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Okaaaay?" you prompted.

"We'll try to stop blaming ourselves-"

"For something that was out of your control."

He chuckled. "For something that was out of our control."

"Good!" You fidgeted a bit in your bed. "So, when can I leave?"

"We're waiting for the results of your CAT Scan," Eddie told you. At your blank look, he explained. "You've been unconscious for almost a whole day. The doctors were worried, especially with that nasty bump on your head. You needed twenty stitches to close the gash there."

You grimaced. "They shaved my head?"

"Yeah. There was no other way."

A sigh left you. It was silly, but you mourned your hair. "What else?"

"Broken arm, but they managed to re-align the bones without surgery. Three cracked ribs, one broken, about forty various stitches. Enough blood loss that they gave you a pint of blood. This is your second bag of fluids for dehydration, and you've had a dose of antibiotics and a tetanus shot. Your finger... They stitched the stump closed."

"Oh, _goody_." A huff left you. "At least the bastards went after my right hand - I wouldn't be able to keep playing the guitar if they'd butchered my left."

"We grabbed your bag and guitar and some of our belongings once we realized what had happened. Hid them somewhere safe." Eddie looked tired, and you knew he hadn't had a decent rest since you'd been kidnapped. "We'll have to go hunting for another apartment later today."

You grimaced. "You're not going to let me come with you, are you?"

"Nope. You need to rest. The Docs will probably run some more tests now that you're awake. And speaking of..." He freed a hand from around yours to pick up the Nurse Summoning Button that you'd overlooked, pressing it with his thumb. The symbiote bit that had curled around your wrist retreated, vanishing into his 'shirt'. "We were supposed to tell them the moment you woke up."

A hum of understanding left you, the easiest noise you could make with your raw throat. Movement to the right drew your attention, a Nurse appearing in the doorway, looking worried. That worry vanished into a relieved smile when she saw you watching her.

"Well! Look who's awake!" She moved to your side, eyes darting over your form as she leaned past your bed to flick at a switch, presumably turning off the Summoning. "You gave us quite a scare. How do you feel?"

"Tired," you admitted, feeling Eddie give your hand a squeeze in response. "My head hurts."

"With the beating you received, I don't doubt it. Give me a minute to go page the doctor, and we'll do some quick cognition tests, just to rule out any hidden dangers."

She rushed out, and you shot a look in Eddie's direction. "What's my story, by the way?"

"Ah. We're dating - that's the truth. The false bit is that we said you got attacked on the streets, mugged for the money you'd earned, and we went looking for you when you didn't show up for our date at the coffee shop. The police were here earlier; we managed to convince them of things, but they'll probably be back now that you're conscious."

You nodded, slowly, so as not to aggravate your aching head. "Okay. Date, coffee shop, attacked by assholes. Easy peasy."

An amused smile tugged at his lips. "'Easy peasy'?"

"I no good think when head hit," you smirked, grinning when he rolled his eyes at you and reached out to lightly flick his index finger against your nose. "Hah. Sorry. Couldn't help it."

"Brat." But the grin he gave you let you know that he actually appreciated your sad attempt at humour. That brief smile faded as soon as the Doctor and Nurse re-entered the room, steel blue eyes regaining a protective edge. You knew that if things went sideways, that Venom would be swinging you to freedom at a moment's notice.

"Glad to see you're awake," the Doctor - a petite woman with a name-tag that said 'Dr. Palmir' - said as she stopped next to your bed. The Nurse circled around, and Eddie retreated from her path, letting the Nurse check on the IVs you were attached to.

Dr Palmir sent a glance at Eddie before addressing you again. "You'll be glad to know that the CAT Scan we performed on you while you were unconscious shows no brain bleeds, which is a minor miracle considering what you've been through. You _do_ have a moderate to severe concussion, however. I have some questions - little things, just to gauge your mental status. Do you feel up to answering them?"

You nodded, and answered them as they came. She asked you to remember three words, then proceeded to ask you the year, your name, who was president, did you know who Eddie was, did you know where you were, what City you were in, before asking you to tell her what those three words were. You answered them easily, without hesitation, and Dr. Palmir nodded in satisfaction when she was done.

She puttered around you afterwards, poking and prodding, checking your pupils, your cast encased arm, then the stitches over your right eye. Announced that the Nurse would come back to change the dressings on your head, left arm, and hand after taking your temperature, and blood pressure.

She was kind and caring, even knowing that you were basically on the streets - something very rare, in your opinion. More than once, you'd been turned away from an ER because of your living conditions, or lack thereof. There was a lot of prejudices at play; it was nice to see someone that saw you as a fellow human being.

"Alright," she announced when she was done. "I want to keep you for at least another day so we can do another Scan, just to be safe. And if you can keep down some liquids, I think we'll be able to take you off the IV tonight. Until then, rest. You need it."

"Thank you," you told her, earnestly, hearing Eddie echo you before the Doctor nodded and left. Blinking, still mildly shocked at how kind she had been, you sent a glance towards Eddie, who smiled at you. "Well, that's good? I kinda feel bad that I'll have to sneak out to avoid the bill."

"We have a plan to cover some of the costs," he murmured, raising a finger to his lips to shush you when the Nurse came back in, wheeling the blood pressure machine over to your left side. He kept a close eye on her as she velcroed the cuff around your upper left arm, the machine quickly squeezing it to the point that you thought your hand might just pop off. Goddamn it was tight.

It kept going to the point that you were ready to rip it the fuck off, before it gave a beep and finally loosened. You wiggled your fingers, trying to get the blood flow back, and opened your mouth to snark, only to have her stick a battery-operated thermometer into your mouth.

You pouted, glaring at Eddie when he snickered.

"No fever, that's good," the Nurse announced when the thermometer beeped, the readout popping up on the machine's screen. "When you're discharged, you'll have to keep an eye on your wounds - any sign of infection and you'll have to come to the ER for a prescription for antibiotics."

"She'll be well taken care of," Eddie assured the Nurse.

"Lucky girl," she said, shooting a smile your way as she wheeled the blood pressure machine out of the room. "I'll be right back to change those bandages."

A sigh escaped you as you leaned back into the pillows, casting your gaze towards Eddie. "You sure you wanna be here for that?"

He took your hand again, squeezing a little. "Want us to leave?"

"It's just... I know I don't look all that great-"

Something flashed in Eddie's eyes as he leaned down, brushing his lips over yours. "You're always beautiful to us," he murmured, holding your gaze. "Don't you ever think otherwise."

"Eddie-"

"Shh. Don't argue, you won't win. Not on this."

You seriously debated arguing. And judging by the look he gave you as he straightened, it showed. But after a moment, you sighed, dropping your gaze from his and nodding.

He gave your hand another squeeze when the Nurse came back. You wanted to send him away - you'd never been one to overly care about your looks, but you hadn't been beaten up by a couple of pros before. You could feel the bruises on your body, the itch of stitches on your scalp and the ache of your missing pinky. God, if you looked as bad as you felt...

But you kept your mouth shut, merely clinging to Eddie's hand for support as the Nurse carefully and tenderly changed all your bandages for fresh, clean, ones. The removal of some pieces of gauze broke some tender scabs, making you wince, felt Eddie's fingers grip you tight when you whimpered upon catching sight of the stump of your missing pinky.

The Nurse kept everything professional, her touches steady, keeping up a constant explanation of what she was doing in an attempt to keep you calm. Though the dark look on Eddie's face when she unwound the gauze from your head to check the stitches there made you shiver a little.

You were exhausted from keeping your emotions in check by the end of it, though the Nurse announced that you had done well. Asked if you needed another dose of painkillers, and yeah, you took her up on that offer.

A quick shot into the muscle of your right upper arm, and you were feeling rather good. Momentarily wondered if it was morphine, before your thoughts got decidedly slippery, every ache in your body lessening to a dull throb.

Eddie brushed his fingers against your left cheek, drawing your gaze, and he smiled at you when you had to struggle to keep your eyes open. "Get some rest, babe."

You gathered together enough coherency to frown. "You need sleep, too."

He smiled, leaning down to press a brief kiss to your lips. "We promise to try. Sleep."

The drugs pulled you under.

.

.

.


	7. Chapter 7

.

.

.

Sunlight streaming through the window woke you up some untold hours later. A glance towards the chair found it empty, and you frowned for a moment, before the smell of food captured your attention.

There was a tray on your little rolling table, the source of the smell, and your stomach growled in response. You spent a moment struggling to sit up, grunting at the effort and the ache in your ribs as you tried to get your body to do what you wanted it to do.

It wasn't until your left hand hit a remote control thing that you paused, looking down and staring at it for a moment before huffing a laugh. Goddamn thing controlled the bed; specifically the head of it.

So you jabbed at the proper button, smirking in triumph as the head of the bed lifted until you were sitting up. Success! It really was the little things that counted.

Tugging the little rolling tray table into place was easy, even though you couldn't use your dominate hand, and upon lifting the cover, found a meal of runny eggs, soggy toast, apple juice and a cup of jello.

No wonder people always wanted to escape the hospitals. The food was shit.

Still, you were hungry. So you bit down on your dislike of your catered breakfast, and wolfed down your crappy meal, if only to stop your stomach from growling. It wasn't the best, far from it, but it filled your belly, and that was what counted.

You'd kill for a cup of coffee though.

Muffling a burp, you pushed the moving table away, then fidgeted a little, a new problem arising - you needed to pee.

Frowning, you carefully tested the movement of your legs, finding them sore, bruised, but perfectly responsive. So you pushed the thin blanket off of yourself, swung your legs over the edge of the bed, and carefully, so carefully, stood up.

The walls moved. Your breakfast threatened to reintroduce itself to the outside world, and it was only a quick flail for the edge of the bed that kept you from face-planting yourself onto the floor.

Breathing deeply, you stood on shaking legs for a full minute, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Once it did, you shambled your way over to the little bathroom across from your bed - the gown that didn't quite cover all flapping around you - taking it so slowly that even a snail could have outpaced you.

Stubbornness for the win. You made it to the bathroom, did your business, then when you were washing your hands, froze when you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. Holy hell.

The right side of your face was one giant bruise, eye partially swollen shut, the stitches that kept a cut above it closed dark, despite the bruise that framed it. There was a dark splotch over your cheekbone, and a gentle prod made you wince. Not broken, but definitely sensitive.

Your head was wrapped up in gauze, so you couldn't see anything, though a dull throb let you know that it was probably rather severe. A peek under the front of your gown made you sigh; you were covered in bruises and cuts, black and blue splotches like some horrible patchwork across your body.

Fuck.

Mood decidedly obliterated, you shuffled back towards your bed, left hand stretched behind you to hold the back of your gown closed so you wouldn't moon any poor Nurse that might enter the room.

You were standing in front of your bed, wondering how to get yourself back into it without hurting yourself further, when a commotion out in the hallway caught your attention.

Frowning, you made your way over to the doorway, poking your head out. There was some flurry of activity at the end of the hallway, you thought it might be a new patient needing serious help... at least until a body was thrown up against a wall, two bullets ending the male nurse's life.

Fucking Murphy's Law.

The chances that whoever it was wasn't there for you were slim, because, really, your track record as of late was sorely lacking.

Sucking in a breath, you silently padded away from your room, ignoring the two security officers that ran past - though what they would do without guns, you had no idea. You made it as far as a closet before your abused head sent a stab of pain through you.

"Fuck it," you muttered, trying the handle and then ducking in when you found it unlocked.

You'd just managed to close the door behind you when the yelling and bullets made their way into the hallway that held your room. Panting, adrenaline not helping the throbbing in your head in any way, shape, or form, you leaned back against the closed door, eyes clenched shut.

You needed to get the hell out of the hospital.

Knowing that you couldn't do it in a gown that left your ass bare to the world, you forced your eyes open and took stock of the closet. It was dark, but your questing hand discovered a light switch, the sudden light sending a stab, right into your brain.

Biting your lip to keep silent, you squinted and made yourself look around. Cleaning supplies and a mop and bucket to your right, a shelf with blankets and - thank God - Nurse's scrubs to your left.

Pants! Yay!

It was a struggle to get your body to listen, but you eventually managed to dress yourself in scrub pants and an overlarge shirt, balling up your gown and shoving it into a laundry bin in the corner.

If you were going to die, at least it wouldn't be with your ass hanging out.

Next - weapons. Of which you had none. But living on the streets had taught you to innovate. So you dumped cleaner out of a spray bottle, then filled it with bleach. Aimed at the eyes, it would blind anyone stupid enough to pose a threat.

Things were quiet now, and you dared to open the door a sliver, peeking out. Your stomach bottomed out when you saw Thug One at the Nurse's station, the dead Security personnel at his feet. Some Nurses were kneeling nearby, their hands on their heads. He was going through the computer system with one hand, the other holding a gun leveled at his kneeling hostages. Obviously he knew you were in the building, now he was trying to figure out what room you were in.

Well shit. Where was your boyfriend when you needed him?

You wanted to run. God, you wanted to run. But you weren't a monster - you couldn't just book it and leave all the other people on whatever floor you were on to die. Not when it was _your_ presence that had brought the psycho to the hospital in the first place.

Exhaling through your nose, you closed the door, then put your ear against it, listening intently. Listened to a small scuffle as the Thug grabbed a random Nurse, ordering her to guide him to you and then slapping her when she told him to go to hell.

Another peek out the closet showed that his back was to you. It was, honestly, the best chance you had.

Moving as silently as you could, you slipped out into the hallway, padding barefoot towards him with your bleach spray bottle at the ready. Got right up to him before you spoke. "Hi! Looking for me?"

He spun, eyes narrowed, and you smiled at him sweetly before raising the bottle and spraying him in the face.

The howl he loosed as he shot his hands up to his eyes made your head hurt, the nurse he'd been holding onto twisting free and making a run for it. You momentarily wanted to puke as his scream cut into your brain, but stubbornly held back. Instead, you sidestepped and ripped a fire extinguisher from it's mooring on the nearby wall, spinning to bash him upside the head with it.

It took two more hits to drop him to the floor. "Fuck you, you Christing fucker!" You ignored the pain in your right arm and ribs as you rose the extinguisher above your head, then brought it down, over and over again. All your thoughts were on what he'd done to you, the bodies on the nearby floor, the blood, so much blood, that was pooled around the still forms.

"Stop!" You got two more hits in before the Nurse who had tended to you grabbed you, wrestling the extinguisher from you. "You'll kill him!"

"That's the fucking idea!" you screamed back, grunting when she shoved you. You weren't steady enough to keep your footing, stumbling backwards, left hand reaching out to grab the guardrail to keep yourself upright.

The Thug looked decidedly less threatening with half his face caved in. Though not quite as disarmed as you'd hoped. He groaned, eyes fluttering, hands rising to fumble at his belt, and your own gaze widened in horror when you saw what he was reaching for.

"GRENADE!"

Tackling the Nurse made _everything_ in your body hurt. You landed in a tangle of limbs on top of a dead security guard, the Nurse fighting to get away. You grabbed her in a bear hug and rolled behind the sturdy desk before a deafening explosion rocked the hospital.

If you thought your head hurt before, you were _wrong_.

Groaning, you pushed the addled Nurse away from you as you rolled onto your side, hands rising to clutch at your head. All you could hear was a high pitched ringing in your ears, something made all the worse when the fire alarm went off, the sprinklers built into the ceiling going off and instantly drenching you.

You lay on the floor, curled up into a ball, until someone knelt next to you, hands coming to rest on your back. Cracking an eye open gifted you with the sight of your Nurse kneeling next to you. She was a little worse for wear, sporting a cut on her forehead that dripped blood down the side of her face, her face pale from fright. Her lips moved, but you didn't hear anything.

That couldn't be good.

She seemed to understand the blank look you gave her, because she nodded, giving you an attempt at a reassuring smile, before helping you to your feet.

There was a huge hole in the floor on the other side of the desk. Wires hung down from the ceiling, sparking, small fires burning on the edges of the crater. The lights, those that remained, flickered wildly, the water from the sprinklers making puddles form everywhere. Bits of what you assumed was dead thug clung to various parts of the remaining walls. Blood and viscera was _everywhere_ , dripping and pooling on every available surface.

Your stomach lurched, and you dove for a wastepaper basket that was miraculously still upright. Your hearing returned in time for you to listen to yourself puking up all of your breakfast. Yay.

Shaking, drained of whatever strength you'd gathered, you snatched the handful of Kleenex thrust into your line of sight and wiped at your mouth. Only when you were certain your stomach was done rebelling did you slowly straighten.

"Thanks," left you in a rasp as you met the Nurse's gaze, ears popping when the blare of the alarm died to be replaced by the sounds of people yelling from various parts of the hospital. "Hearing's back."

"I owe you my life," she murmured as she guided you over to a chair, forcing you to sit down, before she crouched so you didn't have to lift your aching head to meet her gaze.

"Nah."

"I do. A lot of us do, I think." A pause. "Why was he after you?"

You waffled over what to tell her, before deciding on the truth. "He and his buddies did this to me. Tried to lure a friend into a trap using me as bait. It went sideways. I thought that asshole was dead... Guess not."

The Nurse snorted. "Well, he's quite dead now."

"That he is." A sigh left you. "I need to get out of-"

There was a horrible crash from the direction of one of the rooms, the definite sound of a wall being bashed apart, glass and some plaster flying out of the room that used to be yours.

"What the fuck now?" you groaned, far too tired to deal with any more shit the universe wanted to throw at you.

You were answered seconds later by an inhuman bellow that had the Nurse paling. "LITTLE STAR?!"

Better late than never.

You struggled to your feet at the same time that Venom appeared in your old room's doorway, pale eyes widening when he stopped at the edge of the crater in the floor.

" _That's_ your 'friend'?!" the Nurse asked, voice a few octaves too high. An audible gulp left her when her comment drew Venom's attention, the worry on his face morphing into stark relief when he spotted you. "That's _Venom!_ "

"I live an odd life," you told her as the hulking black form leapt over the crater and rushed over to you, taloned hands coming to rest on your shoulders.

"WE HEARD ABOUT AN ATTACK- ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

"I'm okay. Really." You held still as he gave you a full once-over, obviously checking for any new injuries. All you were was tired and wet and in pain and generally disgruntled with the world as a whole.

Your Nurse visibly gathered herself before speaking. "You two should go before the cops get here. I don't... If they find out you're in league with Venom, you'd probably get arrested."

"THEY'D TRY," Venom growled, and you gave him a glare when the Nurse paled some more. Any more lack of blood in her face and she'd pass out. He had the graces to look a little sheepish, trying to look as non-threatening as he could as he held a large hand out to her. "THANK YOU. FOR TAKING CARE OF OUR STAR."

The Nurse, to her credit, actually managed not to run screaming from the room before she hesitantly slipped her hand into his, visibly swallowing when her hand and wrist vanished into his large grip as he shook her hand. She even managed not to do what she really wanted, which was rub her hand clean on the leg of her pants afterwards.

What she did do, surprised you. "Wait here," she said, before turning and vanishing into a room beyond the Nurses's Station. You exchanged a curious look with Venom, shrugging cluelessly. He kept one arm slung around your shoulders protectively as he turned his head to survey the growing activity around and under the hole in the floor. The elevators weren't working due to the fire alarm, but you could hear a fair amount of stomping from the direction of the stairs.

Luckily, the Nurse didn't take long. She dashed back and shoved a couple of full-to-bursting plastic grocery bags into your arms, smiling a little when you blinked at her. "You saved my life. Least I can do is make sure you'll be alright. There's everything you'll need to change those bandages for the next two weeks. Cast comes off in seven weeks, just to be safe. And the pills are painkillers, no more than six a day, got it?"

"WE NEED TO GO," Venom rumbled at you when some shouting came from the floor below, people gathering at the hole to point up through it at him.

You found yourself scooped up into a bridal carry, cradled to his chest, and you shot the Nurse a quick smile. "Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome. Now go!"  
.

.

.


	8. Chapter 8

.

.

.

Venom brought you to some odd, non-descript building that, surprisingly, wasn't that far away from the hospital you'd been staying at. Apparently Eddie's search for a new place to live had been fruitful, because Venom merely landed on the roof and carried you towards a rooftop access door that looked like a bomb had hit it.

Familiar talon marks made you send a questioning glance at him.

"HEARD ABOUT THE ATTACK OVER THE RADIO. NEEDED TO GET OUT OF THE BUILDING WITHOUT BEING SEEN."

Fair enough.

He carried you into the building, pale eyes narrowing as he silently crept down the stairs. You hoped that no one would spot the two of you - the screaming would only make your headache worse.

Luck was finally with you, however. No one poked their heads out of their apartments, no one was in the hallways. Venom moved with an unearthly grace you hadn't thought possible, alien senses obviously on high alert as he carried you down to the eighth floor and over to apartment eight-oh-eight, which was right next to the stairwell.

He extended a handy tendril, reaching up to the top of the doorjamb to retrieve the key that was resting there before unlocking the door and shouldering his way through. You were surprised to see that the apartment was partially furnished, and a little more high-class than the last one. The decor was a mix of modern and something else you couldn't quite place - you weren't an architect or designer.

It was nice though. A pretty blue couch across from a small, yet high def TV, with an armchair adjacent. The kitchen was open concept; tiny, but clean, with a fridge, stove and microwave and granite countertops. Half the living-room had bare brick on the walls, the rest plaster with built in bookcases. There were lots of windows, flooding the apartment with lots of natural light, sheer curtains drawn back to allow as much sun in as possible.

Venom carried you down a short hallway to the bedroom, where a large queen bed lay, stripped of bedding. "WE HAD TO THROW OUT THE SHEETS," he explained sheepishly, and you didn't ask.

Carefully, as if he was afraid you'd break, he set you down so you were sitting on the edge of the mattress, then knelt in front of you, hands clutching at your hips. He was tall enough that even kneeling, the two of you were almost eye to eye.

"LITTLE STAR, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

You nodded, dumping the bags of bandages and drugs onto the mattress next to you. "Yeah. Just wet. And tired."

He took your shaking left hand in his, talons gentle against your skin. "WHAT HAPPENED?"

"It was one of those assholes from the Life Foundation. One of the ones that did this to me." You ignored the angry snarl that left him, knowing it wasn't directed at you. "I guess he ducked out before the fighting started. Anyway, he burst in shooting people. I heard the commotion and made it to a closet before he spotted me. Found some scrubs I could change into..."

A sigh left you, and you met his gaze, willing him to understand why you didn't just make a run for it. "I couldn't just leave them. They helped me. So when his back was turned I snuck up on him, and when he spun around, I got him in the face with some bleach, then brained him with a fire extinguisher a dozen times."

A chuckle left him, a tendril coiling around your left ankle. "OUR BRAVE, STAR."

"Yeah, well, I didn't see the grenade until it was almost too late. My ears are _still_ ringing." He rose a hand to cup the side of your face, and you leaned into it, closing your eyes with a sigh. "Good thing is, we don't have to worry about him anymore, because he kinda... exploded."

"HMPFT." The hand still gripping yours tightened a little. "WE'D HAVE PREFERRED TO RIP HIM APART OURSELVES. TO MAKE HIM _SUFFER_ FOR HURTING YOU."

You smirked a little. "I know. At least he's dead."

"TRUE." He studied you for a moment before leaning in, gently pressing a kiss to your lips. "WE WERE WORRIED."

"I'm usually not such a huge magnet for trouble."

A pained expression settled on his face. "BUT WE ARE."

"Stop it," left you in a firm growl. "You're not responsible for the actions of other people."

He shook his head. "LITTLE STAR-"

"Venom, I'm serious. I've been on the streets for _twelve years_. I've had a broken arm before, I've been hurt before. It wasn't any of your doing then, and it isn't any of your doing now." A thought occurred to you then, and you couldn't keep the hurt out of your voice when you spoke again. "Or was that your attempt to tell me that we're over?"

"WHAT? _NO_." A pained noise left him as he shifted his grip on you, pulling you off the mattress and onto his lap so you were straddling him. His arms wrapped around you, and he nuzzled at your temple, lightly grazing his fangs against your unbruised cheek when you curled your arms around his neck. "OUR LITTLE STAR, WE WOULD _NEVER_."

A deep, thrumming, rumble left him, vibrating into your bones. It kind of aggravated your busted ribs, but you ignored it in lieu of snuggling as close as you could. "Scared me for a moment there."

"WE WORRY THAT WE CAN'T PROTECT YOU," Venom admitted, pulling back a little to meet your gaze, his right hand rising to your face, talons gentle against your skin. "WE'RE A TARGET. WHAT IF SOME STUPID 'HERO' TAKES YOU AWAY, WHAT IF SOMEONE ELSE KIDNAPS YOU, WHAT IF-"

You pressed the fingers of your left hand against his fangs, silencing him and then quirking a brow at him when he licked at them. "Don't go down the 'what if' path. All it'll do is give you a migraine."

"CAN'T HELP IT." He turned his head to nuzzle the palm of your hand, exhaling heavily. "YOU'RE IMPORTANT TO US. DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU."

"Venom, as long and you and Eddie want me here, then I'm not going anywhere."

"PROMISE?"

"Promise."

"OKAY." He leaned in to press a gentle kiss to your forehead, that rumbling purr of his vibrating into you again. "YOU SHOULD REST. WE'LL GO FETCH OUR THINGS. WE HID THEM NEARBY."

You held on as he effortlessly rose to his feet, lifting you up with him as if you were as light as a feather. Though, you'd seen what he was capable of, your weight probably didn't phase him much. "I should change these wet bandages first, I think."

He frowned, his gaze dropping onto the bandages on your arm. "NEED HELP?"

"I'll manage."

"STUBBORN."

"Yup."

A wry chuckle left him, and he carefully set you on your feet, bending down to nuzzle at your unbruised left cheek again. "WE WON'T BE LONG."

"I'll be here," you promised, going up on your tiptoes to place a kiss to his fangs, smiling a little when he hummed and licked at your lips before carefully slipping out of the apartment.

It was odd, to be alone in a brand new place. The urge to call Venom back was strong, but you fought it.

Instead, you grabbed one of the large bags of bandages and went to the bathroom you'd spied when Venom had carried you to the bedroom. It was larger than the other apartment, with a real claw foot tub. You'd thought those only existed in magazines.

It called to you, but you knew that stitches and water didn't mix. Definitely though, as soon as you were free of them, you'd be in that bathtub.

In the meantime, you set the bag of supplies on the closed toilet seat, then went about peeling the soaked bandages from your arm and head. You'd seen the stitches from the wounds on your left arm, but seeing the reflection of the ugly, four inch, stitched gash on your head, framed by a huge black bruise, made your stomach drop to your feet. They'd done a hack job on shaving your head too.

Fighting tears, you threw the wet bandages into a small waste basket, then carefully tugged the gauze wrappings from around your right hand. The sight of the stump that used to be your pinky finger made something in you twist, stomach bottoming out as your heartbeat thudded in your ears.

You couldn't stop the tears anymore.

Hyperventilating, everything hit you with the force of a truck - the kidnapping, the torture, all the fear you'd struggled so hard to keep hidden. Shaking, you sunk to the floor, cradling your head in your hands as you went utterly to pieces.

* * *

It took almost half a hour for your emotions to wring themselves out, for everything that you'd hidden away to come to the surface. You were a trembling, drained, numb, mess by the end of it, every ache in your body now so much more evident after such an emotional outpouring.

Slowly, your breathing evened out, an occasional hiccup escaping you as you reached up with your good arm to grip the edge of the sink. Your legs were rubbery, and you had to go from sitting, to your knees, and then up onto your feet in stages, to avoid falling over.

You couldn't meet your gaze in the mirror. You'd never thought yourself particularly pretty to begin with. Now, you looked uglier than ever, covered in bruises and stitches, with a badly shaved head to boot.

Shaking hands reached into the bag of supplies, your gaze carefully avoiding itself in the mirror as you covered the stitch job on your head with a gauze pad before wrapping your skull with bandages. It wasn't a good job - honestly, your broken arm and ribs hurt like hell when you raised your arms above your head - but it was enough to hide the hideous wound from sight.

Your left arm was easier to deal with - just another gauze pad and some tape. You felt too lazy to bother with encasing your arm in more bandages. The stump of your right pinky finger looked swollen and equally ugly. It had been snipped off just above the first knuckle of your finger.

Trying to move it sent a sharp pain up your arm to join the ache from your broken bone. It was harder to rewrap your right hand - it was your dominate hand, and using your left made you feel painfully awkward. Still, you managed.

The scrubs were still wet, but you didn't fancy sleeping in the nude, so you decided to ignore how they stuck to your skin until Venom got back with your things.

You were just glad that he hadn't come back to find you losing your shit on the floor.

Mentally and emotionally brittle, you spent a good five minutes using a good finger to 'brush' your teeth, rinsing your mouth out with numerous handfuls of water, needing to get the stale flavor of vomit off your tongue. Really, that hospital food had tasted just as bad coming up as it had going down.

A quick look around the bathroom, and the medicine cabinet behind the mirror, afforded you the treasure of a small bottle of 'Listerine', and you sighed with relief before swishing your mouth with the sharp taste of mint.

At least you couldn't taste half digested runny eggs anymore.

Finally done, and tired, you shuffled back to the bedroom, dropping the plastic bag full of supplies onto the nightstand again. It was the sound of pills rattling that caught your attention, one eyebrow arching upwards. Oh yeah. Painkillers.

That made you rifle through it, pawing through rolls of gauze and tape until you closed your fingers on one of two bottles. Six a day, max, the Nurse had said. You took stock of your aching body, weighed it against the possibility of overdosing, then sullenly shook out one pill, dry swallowing it with a grimace.

You hoped it was the good stuff.

Finally, you eased your broken form - both physically and mentally - onto the bed, slowly, agonizingly, lying down onto your back, the only real position that didn't make something hurt. You mourned the lack of a pillow, but the mattress was comfortable.

You stared at the ceiling for maybe a minute before exhaustion made you pass out.

.

.

.


	9. Chapter 9

.

.

.

When you came back to yourself, there was a large, firm, body nestled against your side.

Venom was sprawled on his back next to you, cradling you with his right arm, taloned hand cupping your hip. Your head was resting on his chest, and you closed your eyes again as you pressed your ear to him, listening to his low, rumbling, snores.

Shifting a little informed you that there were symbiote tendrils coiled around you, further cradling you, and Venom gave a little hiss in reaction, arm tightening for a moment before loosening again. He grumbled in his sleep, turning his head towards you, twisting until he could nuzzle at your bandaged head, before settling again, resuming his rumbling.

You waited for a full minute before raising your head from his chest. The room was darker than before, only a slight glow coming from the open door and the hallway that led to the living-room and all those windows. You guessed it was near sunset, which meant that you'd slept the afternoon away.

The pain pills were definitely of the Good Kind.

Knowing that Venom - and Eddie - were probably sleep deprived, you settled down again, wiggling a little until you were more comfortable. He gave another grumble, but didn't move, so you merely rest your head back onto his chest and closed your eyes.

Sleep didn't fully reclaim you, but you did manage to snooze for a small period of time. It wasn't until you felt Venom start to lightly trail a talon up and down your right upper arm that you opened your eyes again, blinking in the darkness. "Mm?"

The rumbling under your ear escalated into a full on purr. "HOW ARE YOU, LITTLE STAR?"

You yawned, nearly whacking yourself in the face with your cast when you tried to rub at your eyes. "A bit better. You?"

"WE COULD SMELL YOUR TEARS WHEN WE GOT BACK," he frowned, gently rearranging you as he rolled onto his side so he could look down at you.

Wincing, you dropped your gaze from his, staring at his chest. "I... just needed a cry."

Venom studied you for a long moment, before raising his left hand to your face, talons gentle against your cheek. "DID IT HELP?"

"Not really."

"YOU WERE VERY BRAVE," he rumbled, leaning down to gently graze his fangs across your lips. "BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE BRAVE NOW."

You shook your head a little, lips quirking wryly, even as you did your best to keep your tears at bay. "You ever have a breakdown when you have a headache and your ribs are busted? It isn't fun. I'd rather not do it twice in one day."

A low rumble left him as he frowned, lightly palming the top of your bandaged head. "DID YOU TAKE YOUR PAINKILLERS?"

"Mmhm."

He sighed, then carefully, so carefully, touched his forehead to yours, purring deeply. "WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU. EDDIE WENT SHOPPING FOR SOME FOOD, AND WE HAVE SOME BLANKETS FOR THE BED." A low chuckle left him then. "THOUGH WE'D HAVE MUCH PREFERRED A LESS TRAUMATIC WAY OF GETTING YOU INTO OUR BED."

You laughed, weakly. "Me too."

Another rumbling purr vibrated out of him as he slid a hand down your side to your hip, one of the only unbruised parts of you. "WE HAVE YOU HERE NOW THOUGH," he hummed thoughtfully, pausing to give you a toothy grin before he shifted over you, bracing himself on his elbows and knees to keep his weight off of your battered body before capturing your lips in a searing kiss.

Definitely trying to drive you insane.

You moaned, and he took advantage to curl the tip of his tongue around yours, a growl rolling out of him and into you when you shifted to wrap your arms around his neck. He literally feasted on you, only relenting when you pulled away to gasp for air, dropping his face to nuzzle at your neck, fangs grazing your skin. "Venom-"

"WANT TO SMELL OURSELVES ON YOU AGAIN. NOT THAT HOSPITAL STENCH," he muttered, licking at the column of your throat as he tugged at your scrub top, slipping his hand under the hem of it to splay his hand across your stomach. "DON'T LIKE IT WHEN YOU DON'T SMELL LIKE US."

"You're just possessive," you teased, smirking at the mock-affronted look he gave you.

" _OUR_ STAR. ONLY OURS," was his answer, the hand under your top sliding to palm your right side, touch light enough that it didn't aggravate your injuries, though you could feel the hint of talons against your skin.

But he didn't push you, didn't do anything else beyond nuzzling at you and petting at your stomach and side, pressing kisses along the curve of your throat and shoulder. More tendrils reached out to you, joining those that were carefully cradling you, curling around your arms and legs, smoothing across your limbs.

"MMM, BETTER," left him after a while, his tongue licking at your cheek, and you snickered a little, tightening your arms around his neck as much as you were able with stitches and a cast. Venom didn't seem to mind, fangs carefully nibbling at your bottom lip before he kissed you again, leisurely, that rock-tumbler purr of his growing louder as he shifted to cup your face in his hands. "TONIGHT, WE WANT TO TRY SOMETHING. DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL WORK: WE'RE NOT BONDED TO YOU. BUT WE WANT TO TRY TO HEAL SOME OF YOUR WOUNDS."

You blinked up at him. "You can do that?"

One massive shoulder rose and fell in a shrug. "NOT SURE. BUT WE WANT TO TRY. IF YOU'LL LET US?"

"Of course."

He gave you a relieved and pleased grin. "GOOD! FOOD, THEN SLEEP. YOU LOOK TIRED."

Your nose wrinkled a little. "I haven't even _done_ anything and I'm exhausted."

"YOU'RE HEALING," was his explanation, and he ducked his head to nip at your nose before he moved, rolling away, off the mattress and onto his feet. The symbiote tendrils that were wrapped around you adjusted a little, helping support aching muscles and battered bones as Venom carefully scooped you into his arms.

A bought of dizziness had you wrapping your arms around him again, and he brushed his cheek against the top of your head before carrying you out to the living-room and over to the couch. "YOU STAY HERE, LITTLE STAR. GET COMFY. WE'LL GET YOU SOME FOOD."

Every bit of inky blackness curled around you retreated as Venom sat you down, and you watched, eyebrow quirked - though it hurt a little - as the symbiote peeled away from it's human host, baring Eddie to your eyes. "What? No 'Chef Venom'?"

Eddie laughed. "Not unless you lean towards raw steak dipped in chocolate," he chuckled, swatting at the symbiote when it extended a tendril to poke him in the forehead. "What? Humans don't eat raw steak! We cook our meat! And we sure as hell don't dip it in chocolate." A pause and a snicker. "And now it's pouting."

Still laughing, he rubbed a hand across his face, scratching at the stubble on his jaw as the alien reformed around him in the guise of jogging pants and a tank. Yelped second later, jumping a little, and you snickered when you realized that the symbiote had pinched him.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Eddie muttered, rubbing at his side as he gave you a put upon look and rolled his eyes. "I need to feed you _now_ , apparently. Any requests? We can make you some eggs and toast or something? Easy on the stomach but filling?"

"As long as they're not like the crappy eggs the hospital gave me, sure."

"No worries. We're miles above a hospital cook," he promised as he flipped on the kitchen light before going to dig through the fridge, turning back towards you when you moved to get up. Damned symbiote had probably told on you. "Ah, ah! Sit. We can manage this."

You grumbled a little, left hand clutching at the edge of the couch. "I can help."

"You don't need to. Let us take care of you, okay? You need to rest and recover." When you sighed and glared at the floor, Eddie abandoned the fridge and walked back over to you, moving to crouch down in front of you. "Look, it's hard, we get it. You're used to being on your own and pushing through whatever's happened and getting things done because no one else is going to do it for you. But this time, you don't have to do it alone."

"I know. I just... Hate being an invalid."

"Hey." He reached up to frame your face in his hands, locking gazes with you. "You're not an invalid. You're hurt, yeah, but that's temporary. The hard part is going to be taking it easy so you don't mess up the whole healing process." His left thumb brushed across your cheek when you closed your eyes with a grimace. "It'll go by faster than you think, babe. Even if that healing thing the symbiote wants to try doesn't work - in a week, that shiner is going to be almost gone. Ten days, and you can get all those stitches out. Two weeks, and your head is gonna feel so _much_ better."

Your lips quirked. "Three weeks and I'll gnaw my cast off."

"Kinky." He grinned when you laughed at that. "Small steps, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good! Here's the remote, try to find something that isn't too mind numbing. You like your eggs scrambled or over easy?"

"Sideways and upside down."

A chuckle left him as he rose to his full height. "Yeah, you're gonna be an interesting patient."

"You realize that I was only partially kidding about gnawing my cast off, right?"

"Yup."

* * *

Supper was _definitely_ better than breakfast had been. Eddie made some mean eggs. He'd even thrown a steak onto the pan when the symbiote had whined about you not having enough meat.

You hadn't been able to eat it all, but you'd managed enough to calm the alien's mother-hening. Only once you'd had your fill did Eddie eat, wolfing down the remainder of the steak and some scrambled eggs.

Honestly, just being awake was tiring. Eddie had settled himself next to you after supper, an arm slung over your shoulders to tuck you up to his side, symbiote tendrils extending from his 'clothing' to curl around your waist possessively. You'd gratefully leaned into him, joining him in watching the news for a little while until your eyelids had gotten heavy.

The next thing you were aware of, he was carrying you back to bed - a bed that now had sheets and blankets. You'd obviously fallen asleep.

Eddie had laughed at your grumbling about your weakened stamina, distracting you with a kiss before he'd gone to fetch a glass of water so you could take your painkiller.

Afterwards, it was Venom that climbed into bed with you, that now familiar rumbling purr putting you at ease as he wrapped you up in arms and tendrils, inky blackness moving to support aching ribs and bruises. He nuzzled into you again, gently, licking at your throat, before tucking you so close and resting his chin on a safe spot on your bandaged head.

Between his purring, your exhaustion and the painkillers, you couldn't help but fall asleep. Dreamed of the top of the Golden Gate Bridge and the stars, before things morphed into darkness, flashes of pain and blood and a cruel, amused, smile painting your brain before you jerked awake with a shout.

You bolted upright, trying to shove Suit away from you, hands encountering only empty air. Movement to your left pulled another frightened cry from you, and you recoiled, voice rising in shock when your retreat had you falling from the bed.

Taloned hands grabbed at you, inky darkness solidifying around your waist and limbs to stop your descent and gently pull you back onto the mattress. Gasping, almost hyperventilating, you fought a little, at least until a light clicked on, searing your eyes before you focused on the one who was holding onto you. "V-Venom?"

That purr you were used to ratcheted up a notch when recognition allowed you to relax into his grip, a pained noise leaving you as you weakly threw your arms around him and buried your face into his chest.

"SHHHH. HUSH, LITTLE STAR. WE HAVE YOU." One of his hands slid up and down your back, the other tenderly cupping the back of your aching head.

"I dreamt I was back in that room," you whispered, shivering, refusing to close your eyes for more than a blink in case you'd see Suit again. "With that Life Foundation Suit and his Thugs."

His grip on you tightened a little, that purr wavering because of a growl. But Venom didn't say anything, merely held you, until the tremors that were wracking you stopped, your heartbeat regaining a more normal rhythm.

You sighed, tiredly, and leaned your forehead against him once you felt you could trust your voice not to waver again. "I'm sorry."

"THERE IS NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR," he rumbled, pulling back just enough to meet your gaze, the hand cupping your head moving forward to touch your unbruised cheek. "IT WAS OUR FAULT. WE... IT WAS A SHARING. WE TRIED TO HEAL YOU, TRIED TO FORGE A BOND... WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT IN TRYING TO SEE WE TRIGGERED YOUR MEMORIES."

"You... How?"

"HUMANS ARE DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS WE'VE ENCOUNTERED. 'WE' IS US - SYMBIOTE AND HOST. BUT WE THINK WE CAN SHARE SOME OF OURSELVES WITH YOU IF WE TRY HARD ENOUGH. HEALING. MAYBE THOUGHTS. WE PUSHED, AND IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR YOU." Venom huffed and shook his head, the arm around your waist tightening a little more. "WE DIDN'T MEAN TO TRIGGER A NIGHTMARE."

You frowned and absorbed all of that for a moment, before sighing, and, to Venom's obvious relief, relaxed into him again. This was just another chapter in the weird-fuck-o-meter that was your life. "You could have just asked."

"YOU WERE TORTURED. EDDIE SAID NOT TO BRING IT UP."

"And do you always listen to Eddie?"

A pause, followed by a low chuckle. "NO."

"There you go then." You took a breath, exhaling slowly. "It was bad. I'm glad they're all dead, otherwise I don't know if I'd feel safe in this City. They... They wanted me to help them lure you in, capture you. I told them to go to hell, in no uncertain terms. They knocked me out with some drugs, and when I woke up I was tied to a chair in some room with seamless metal walls."

A low hiss left him. "THEY LIKED TO KEEP THEIR EXPERIMENTS THERE. WE REMEMBER SEEING THEM BEFORE WE BONDED WITH EDDIE. THEY TRIED TO FORCE SOME SYMBIOTES TO BOND WITH PEOPLE - IT DOESN'T WORK WHEN FORCED."

"That would explain the blood and the dents in the walls."

One huge hand rose to lightly stroke the nape of your neck, wicked talons so gentle against your skin. Venom didn't push, merely comforted you while you worked to speak past the lump in your throat.

Finally, you managed to find your voice again. "Suit came in with his two Thugs. They... He said you'd killed their friends when you escaped the Foundation, and they wanted revenge. It was... Fuck. It _hurt_. I've been beaten up before, but not like that."

That pulled another angry, low, hiss from Venom, his grip on you shifting until you were firmly wrapped up in his arms and dark tendrils, your head resting on his shoulder while he growled and snarled something unintelligibly angry.

"WE WISH WE COULD KILL THEM AGAIN FOR WHAT THEY DID TO YOU. WE'D MAKE THEM _SUFFER_ ," left him in an inhuman rasp, fangs gnashing the air, pale eyes narrowed into slits.

"Well, one of them blew up," you reminded him dryly. You really needed to get a handle on how your response to being stressed was to snark at people.

"TOO QUICK. WE'D HAVE DRAWN IT OUT." He snarled something else, syllables hissing between his fangs, but you couldn't make out what he was saying.

Deciding that maybe you didn't want to know, you gratefully snuggled into him, wrapped up in muscle and alien darkness. The knowledge that you were safe, however temporary, helping to calm the final little bits of fear that was clinging to you from the nightmare.

Venom grumbled something, seemingly to himself - or maybe Eddie - before huffing and ducking his head to nuzzle at you, breath hot against your skin, fangs carefully nipping at your shoulder.

You didn't feel like talking about your zero star review of your treatment anymore. Or ever again, if you could help it. Though you were seriously getting weirded out by the fact that your pinky hurt - damned thing wasn't even _attached_ anymore, what the hell body?

So when Venom rose a hand to gently coax you to look up at him, you didn't protest, meeting that pupil-less, pale, gaze fearlessly - odd, how just a month ago, you'd been terrified of him.

He lightly brushed his fingertips against the unbruised part of your face, talons tickling your skin, before he licked at his fangs and moved closer, dark lips capturing yours. No hungry aggression that time though, just affection tinged with relief. Pulled away too soon for you, fangs grazing your jaw as he lowered his head to your neck, nuzzling again and taking in an audible breath of your scent.

"MMM, NOT QUITE BACK TO NORMAL," he mumbled against you, fangs grazing the lobe of your left ear before his tongue traced the pulse in your throat. "SHOULD CHANGE INTO ONE OF EDDIE'S SHIRTS. GET RID OF UGLY, SMELLY, HOSPITAL CLOTHES."

"Did you manage to save some of my stuff too?"

"OF COURSE."

"Then, yeah. I wouldn't mind getting into something that doesn't itch."

He nodded, giving your skin another taste before carefully untangling himself from you. "STAY."

"Woof."

It wasn't possible for him to roll his eyes at you, but he sure as hell managed to give you an expression that plainly said he would if he could.

You were mentally trying to catalogue how much it would hurt to get changed when Venom returned, carrying your overstuffed-looking backpack. It looked like Eddie had literally shoved everything he could into the poor thing until it was near to bursting.

Everything in your body protested as you sat up and swung your legs over the side of the bed, and it must have shown on your face, because Venom rushed over to you, rumbling worriedly as his hands closed over your shoulders to steady you.

"My body's on strike," you lamented with a wince as he helped you to your feet, never moving more than a few inches away from you, which was good, because you'd barely taken a step before the walls moved.

"WE CAN HELP?" It was a question rather than a statement, and you gave it some serious thought, waffling a little, before nodding, tiredly.

You trusted Venom - and Eddie - enough to know that neither would take advantage of you in the state you were in. Though it wasn't how you'd wanted them to see you naked for the first time.

It must have shown on your face - you had to work on that for fucksakes, you didn't use to be an open book - because Venom purred, gently hugging you, as if you were as breakable as fine china. "WE WON'T LOOK IF YOU DON'T WANT US TO." When you nodded, silently, he stroked a hand down your left arm before gently turning you around so your back was to him. "BETTER?"

"Yeah. It's just... I look like hell-"

"MARKS OF STRENGTH," he growled, tugging at the hem of your scrub top.

It took a lot of wincing for you to get your sore and stiff muscles to work, raising your arms above your head for him to gently pull the nurse's scrub off without getting the rough fabric caught on any bandages or your cast. You wavered a bit afterwards, arms crossing over your chest, legs shakey, and you felt him move close, so close that his chest was pressed flush to your back.

Yeah, despite the sad state of your body, your libido was still functioning. Ripped as fuck male body pressing up against you was, apparently, code for 'all hands on deck, fun time's ahoy!'.

A pleased, very male-sounding, noise rumbled out of Venom, and you cursed your traitorous body. "WHEN YOU'RE BETTER," he promised, bending down to drop a kiss to your right shoulder, licking at the spot before he straightened again. "ARMS UP."

Blushing, you did as he asked, closing your eyes as he slid one of Eddie's tee shirts onto you, the soft cotton such a contrast to the itchy scrubs that you sighed in relief.

Hearing him take an long inhale when he knelt to help you out of your pants and into some boxers made that blush feel as powerful as a bad sunburn, and you nearly jumped right out of your goddamn skin when a tongue slid under the hem of the shirt to lap at the small of your back.

His intention to drive you to insanity was turning out to be a short fucking trip.

"Don't tease me when I'm out of commission. It's mean."

"NOT TEASING," Venom rumbled, though he sounded absurdly happy about the pout in your voice. The curve of his talons slid up the outside of your legs as he rose the boxers into place, playfully snapping the elastic band against your waist when he was done. "JUST... SAMPLING."

You turned your head to fix him with the best glare you could summon up, grumbling when he chuckled in return. "Mean."

"WE'LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU WHEN YOU FEEL BETTER." Your backpack was tossed into a corner, the scrubs shredded out of what you suspected was spite. Only once he was done shaking strips of cloth from his talons did he wrap you up in his arms again, picking you up as he resettled himself onto the bed.

Inky black tendrils curled around you, smoothing over your legs and arms and up your back as Venom settled onto his back and sprawled you on top of him. Your body was still in a confused state of part arousal and part stiff agony, and you grumbled again - just because you could - as you carefully shifted so you'd be comfortable.

Whatever his reason, lying on top of him as you were actually didn't aggravate the many bruises across your body. He was warm, and strong and _safe_ , arms rising to curl around you as you rest your head on his shoulder. His symbiotic tendrils shifted across you, smoothing against your aching shoulders, sliding down your bare legs, curling around the arms you had loosely wrapped around his neck.

Venom's purr lowered to the point that the bass rumbles vibrated into you, and you snuggled into him in response, relaxing into his hold as he ran his hands down your back soothingly.

"BACK TO SLEEP," he murmured, using what you assumed was a handy tendril to click off the light, plunging the room back into darkness. You tucked yourself as close to him as possible in response, and he waited until you'd settled before one large hand cupped the back of your head, the other splaying across your back. "SLEEP, OUR STAR. NO MORE DREAMS, WE PROMISE."

You screwed your eyes shut, mentally keeping that nightmare at bay with sheer willpower. "Can you keep purring to me until I fall asleep?"

That bass rumble cut off with, "WE DO NOT 'PURR'." He actually sounded a little insulted.

A smile tugged at your lips. "Yeah, you do."

"HMPFT." A pause, and you felt him turn his head to brush his fangs against your lips as he spoke. "ONLY FOR YOU."

"I won't tell," you promised, pressing a kiss to his chest when that low - definitely a purr - sound started up again.

There were no more nightmares.

.

.

.

(There's no real way for me to answer all the reviews on FFnet without making some huge list here, but I DO read all of them and I DO appreciate all of them! Thank you so much! If you want to leave me a message I can actually respond to, go on over to AO3 and leave me one there! - Snarky)


	10. Chapter 10

.

.

.

It was morning when consciousness next reared it's head, the sunlight that lit up the hallway pooling into the bedroom. Groaning, stiff, you tested your limbs, findings things achy yet usable.

You were still draped across Venom's body, his left hand splayed on your back, his other arm thrown up, resting on his forehead, probably to shadow himself from the light. His chest rose and fell beneath you as he slept, a low series of rumbles accompanying every breath, wicked fangs slightly parted.

Itching on your face made you sleepily rise your left hand, fingertips prodding at the source: the shiner that encompassed your right eye. Couldn't muffle a noise of surprise when you encountered some of the symbiote instead of your skin, your brain skipping a gentle wake up and shooting right into full coherency.

Only your trust of Venom kept you from launching yourself away as you poked and prodded at the dark patch on your face, tugging slightly. He grumbled in his sleep, the hand on your back adding pressure to tuck you back down onto his chest.

You spent a moment panicking as you were pressed down, mind whirling as the bit of symbiote on your face shifted a little, undulating across your skin. What had he said about healing you? A sharing, he'd called it, right?

It took almost a minute for you to wrestle yourself back to something akin to calm, breathing deeply. He'd said he - the symbiote - would try to heal you. Obviously that wasn't going to happen without it fucking _touching_ you, right? Which explained _why_ it was so stubbornly attached to you.

Okay. Your life was weird. Just... calm the fuck down.

You closed your only working eye and clung to Venom as you worked through the last bits of panic, listening to his heartbeat as it thudded under your ear. Safe. You were safe. Venom would never hurt you. Just fucking breathe.

When you were leveled out - and tired again, what the hell - you let out the breath you hadn't been aware you'd been holding, then forced yourself to relax, tense muscles un-cramping from the brief 'fight or flight' signals your brain had been sending them.

Venom's rumbling changed pitch then, deepening, and you rose your head from his chest, blinking as you met his gaze.

"Oh." Yeah, you were a pinnacle of conversation. Congratulations. Try again, fuckwit. "Hi?"

Dumbass.

He rose his right hand to your face, expression intense as the bit of symbiote there fluttered aside, and you blinked your suddenly uncovered right eye, squinting a little at the bright light.

When he didn't say anything, merely stared, you fidgeted. "That bad?"

"NO," he rumbled. "JUST PRETTY."

Felt the warmth of a blush overtake you as you rose your hand to your face again, lightly prodding at your cheek. Instead of the sharp pain you'd felt the day before, all you felt was a slight ache, and your eye _definitely_ felt less swollen. Things looked a lot clearer too. "Either tell me how it looks or lemme go find a mirror."

He wound both arms around your waist, trapping you against him with a pleased grin. "ALMOST ALL HEALED, LITTLE STAR. NO MORE BRUISES, JUST A BIT OF REDNESS."

"Really? Wow." Relief bubbled up in you as you curled your arms around his neck, careful not to brain him with your cast. "Thank you!"

"YOU CAN THANK US WITH A KISS," he purred, chuckling at your intensifying blush before he slid a hand up to the back of your head and pulled you down to him.

That hunger was back, his purr morphing into a growl as he twined his tongue around yours, feasting, tasting, until you had to pull back to gasp for air. Fangs grazed the side of your neck, nipping, tongue laving the same spot to cool the sharp prick of teeth.

Insanity here you came.

"What did I tell you about teasing me?" you breathed as he nuzzled at your neck, a chuckle leaving him as he licked at the shell of your ear. He was so careful with you as he gently rolled you onto your back, pausing to tuck a pillow under your head before he leaned over you.

"SORRY. COULDN'T HELP OURSELVES." He didn't _sound_ sorry, the smug bastard. Didn't _look_ sorry either, and you had to fight the urge to glare the look of satisfaction off his face when he saw the blush on your cheeks. "WE WAITED A LONG TIME TO WAKE UP TO YOU IN OUR ARMS, AFTER ALL. SO MUCH TIME LOST."

You were going to snark something at him, except your brain got derailed when he tugged you into another kiss, a loud groan escaping him when you turned the tables by gently nipping at his tongue. One taloned hand rose to tilt your head back a bit as he pulled away with a growl, baring your throat to him so he could graze his mouth against your pulse.

"FINALLY SMELL NORMAL AGAIN," Venom growled, nuzzling at you, nipping a trail up to the spot behind your left ear. "STILL TOO MUCH HURT IN YOUR SCENT, BUT GETTING BETTER. WE'LL KEEP HEALING YOU AT NIGHT WHILE YOU SLEEP."

Curiosity made you nudge at him until he rose his head to meet your gaze. "Won't that drain you?"

He shrugged. "WE DON'T FEEL DIFFERENT. DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN HEAL YOUR BROKEN BONES, BUT THE CUTS, BRUISES, WE CAN FIX THOSE. NO MORE ITCHY STITCHES."

Just the thought of being free of stitches, especially the ferociously itchy ones on your scalp, made you ridiculously happy. "Thank you."

"ANYTHING FOR YOU, LITTLE STAR." Venom gave you another searing kiss, his right hand cupping the side of your head as his tongue gently explored your mouth.

You were panting by the time he pulled back, his fangs bared in a very male grin as you tried to convince your body that no it was not 'all hands on deck' time. Goddamn it. "Tease."

A pleased chuckle left him. "WE LIKE KNOWING WE CAN DO THAT TO YOU."

"Obviously," you deadpanned, rolling your eyes when he laughed again. Swatted at him for good measure, grumbling when Venom caught your left hand and licked at your fingertips. "You just going to drive me crazy the whole day?"

"IT CROSSED OUR MINDS," he admitted with a rumble and a grin, nipping at your thumb before relocating your hand to his chest. "FOOD FIRST. YOU NEED YOUR STRENGTH. WE BOUGHT COOKIES!"

A laugh bubbled out of you. "Lemme guess - chocolate chip?"

"OF COURSE! WE LIKE CHOCOLATE. IT IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS. EDDIE IS STILL ASLEEP. WANT COOKIES FOR BREAKFAST?"

That came as a bit of a surprise. "You're hijacking his body?"

One massive shoulder rose and fell in a shrug as Venom started to untangle his tendrils from you before rising from the bed. "LITTLE BIT. HE WON'T MIND. TOO MUCH." You received a view of his back as he stretched his arms high above his head. The smirking glance he gave you over his shoulder told you that he was purposefully showing off.

"Mean," you grumbled, narrowing your eyes at him as you carefully pushed yourself upright, jaw clenching at the fierce ache in your ribs as you swung your legs over the edge of the bed. You could barely _move_ and yet your libido was wanting you to do the horizontal mambo. Fucksakes.

The pained, frustrated, sigh that left you had Venom moving to crouch in front of you, taloned hands rising to your face. "LITTLE STAR?"

"M'okay. Really. I just moved wrong." _And you're driving me insane!_ You didn't voice the last bit though.

He hummed, talons careful against your skin as he checked the bandages on your left arm, before palming your sides, snatching his right hand away when you flinched. "RIBS?"

"Yeah."

A tendril reached out from his side to pick up the small bottle on the nightstand, shaking it a little so the pills within rattled. "TIME FOR MORE PILLS."

You grimaced as he gently pressed the container into your hands. "I don't like how they knock me out."

"WE DON'T LIKE IT WHEN YOU HURT," he murmured plaintively, pulling a sigh from you as you frowned down at the bottle. Taloned hands reached out to enclose yours as Venom leaned in to nuzzle at your cheek. "MAYBE HALF?"

"Yeah. Okay."

"WE'LL GET YOU SOME WATER. STAY HERE."

You grinned. "Arf."

A low chuckle rumbled out of him as he headed out of the bedroom. "HORRIBLE, LITTLE STAR. HORRIBLE."

Snickering, you popped open the bottle and shook out one of the painkillers, using your teeth to snap one in half. Knowing better than to stretch to put the container back onto the nightstand, you shrugged and dropped it onto your pillow.

Venom ducked through the doorway with a glass of water moments later, pale eyes locking onto you, obviously checking to see if you'd moved.

"I stayed put. Do I get a cookie for good behavior?"

"WELL, WE WERE ENTERTAINING THE THOUGHT OF WEBBING YOU TO THE BED..." He quirked a brow at you as he held the water out to you, and you rolled your eyes at him as you accepted the glass.

"Not tonight, hun, I have a headache. Besides, it's hard to have fun when you have busted ribs," you quipped before taking your painkiller, hoping that just a half dose would be enough to dull your aches without knocking you unconscious.

He gave you a grin full of teeth and hunger and mischief. "YOU COULD RIDE US."

And now you were choking.

Coughing didn't engratiate you to your ribs, and once you'd regained the ability to _breathe_ , you narrowed your eyes at him and flung the remainder of the water at him, his squawk of protest echoing in the room. "Listen you. There's _teasing_ and then there's being _cruel_. I can't _do anything_ in the state I'm in. I can't even sit up without being in pain and you keep _driving me crazy_ and I almost want to punch you but I can't because my hand hurts and how can it hurt my pinky's not even _attached_ -!"

"SHIT," left him in a panicked hiss as some tears of frustration and overwhelmed emotions started to fall, and you hiccuped as you found yourself wrapped up in a bear hug, that purr of his loud in your ears as he nuzzled and licked at your cheek.

You whacked him in the arm with your cast just for good measure, taking a bit of pride in how he grunted in at the impact. That done, you snuggled into him, hiding your face against the side of his neck.

 _Boundaries_ , Eddie had said. Venom had no idea about boundaries. Sighing, you curled your arms around as much of him as you could, raising your head to place a gentle kiss to his cheek. "I _hurt_ , Venom. A lot. _Yes_ , I want you, and Eddie, but I _can't_ right now. Please understand that."

A deep rumble vibrated out of his chest as he licked at the few tears still on your cheeks. "WE'RE SORRY, OUR STAR. WE'RE... THIS IS NEW TO US. SYMBIOTES DON'T USUALLY BOND WITH ANYONE OTHER THAN THEIR HOSTS, BUT YOU..." He nuzzled at you, nipping at your jaw. "YOU ARE _OURS_."

"I am," you agreed, softly, and if that wasn't a commitment, nothing was. "Just give me a couple of weeks to heal, okay?"

He gave you a gentle lick, from cheek to temple. "WE WILL BE PATIENT, AND WE WILL HELP YOU HEAL. CAN WE STILL HOLD YOU?"

You smiled. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't." A pleased, _relieved_ , purr left him as he kissed you, gentle this time, licking at your lips when he pulled away and wrapped you up in a hug again.

And then. "UH OH."

You had a good clue as to why he looked rather guilty. "Eddie's awake now, huh?"

"HE IS... GRUMPY." Venom heaved a put-upon sigh, gathering you up into his arms, tendrils curling around you to support your aching form as he carried you out to the living-room. A grumble left him as he gently set you down on the couch, brushing his fangs against your cheek. "WE WOULD NEVER HURT OUR LITTLE STAR."

"You tell him to stop worrying," you frowned, your left hand brushing across his arm as he pulled away from you. "Better yet, let me talk to him so I can tell him to stop worrying."

Venom grumbled again, but stroked the curve of a talon across your cheek before the blackness that was the symbiote undulated away from Eddie's face and body. The man underneath looked about three shades past pissed.

"Are you alright?" Eddie demanded as soon as the symbiote had reformed around him in the form of jogging pants and a tee shirt, moving to kneel in front of you and giving you a once over as if he expected to see that Venom had attacked you in the night.

"I'm _fine_ , Eddie."

"Jesus Christ, I told him to take it easy on you," he muttered under his breath as he checked all your bandages, gently prodding at your newly healed eye. "No fucking clue about boundaries."

"Not one bit," you drawled with a smirk. "It's not like they publish 'how to interact with humans' textbooks."

A wry huff of laughter left him as he sat back on his heels, raising a hand to your face. "You're sure you're alright?"

And then you had a front row seat to one of the weirdest things you'd seen in a while: blackness rose from Eddie's shoulder, the large tendril stretching out a bit before Venom's head and face appeared on the end of the stalk.

"WE WOULD NEVER HURT OUR LITTLE STAR!"

"You made her cry!"

"NOT ON PURPOSE!"

"I _told you_ to go easy on her! She's _hurt_ you dumbass!"

"WE KNOW THAT, ASSHOLE!"

You quirked an eyebrow as you watched them argue with each other, wondering, when, exactly, this had become common place for you.

It went on for a bit, you just sitting there watching the show, before their voices got loud enough that you were worried about the neighbours hearing. Also, they were giving you a headache and talking about you like you weren't there. That was pissing you off.

So you scowled and used your best 'able to be heard over the roar of traffic' voice. " _Enough!_ "

Two sets of eyes locked onto you in shock, which, again, weird, but what the hell.

"Now you two listen and listen good. Eddie, Venom didn't make me cry. I was nearly killed two days ago, and then almost blown up, and I'm still freaked out about that. So, yeah, I'm emotionally brittle right now. Every time my anxiety spikes I want to cry, and if _you_ don't like it, imagine what it feels like on _my_ end! I hurt, and I'm drained, and I'm scared, and what's really driving me crazy is that my pinky itches, and it isn't even fucking _attached_ anymore! So, I'm gonna cry a bit, I'm gonna lose my shit from time to time, and none of it will be either of your faults! So, quit it, both of you! Because this insanity-" you made a gesture to encompass both of their dumb selves - "Isn't helping!"

Eddie's jaw dropped while Venom started snickering. You debated smothering them with one of the couch cushions. Though with your luck Venom would probably just chew through it.

Grumbling, you folded your arms across your chest - as well as you could with stitches and a cast - and pouted. "And I was promised cookies."

"OH! COOKIES!" Eddie toppled over as Venom - apparently forgetting that he was _attached_ to the poor man - made a lunge for the kitchen, half a dozen tendrils lashing out to open a cupboard and grab a plastic container that the local bakery used to sell batches of cookies. Only when he realized that his other half had face-planted onto the floor did the symbiote freeze, pale eyes widening a little as Venom's 'head' turned to look at the man. "EDDIE?"

Said other half rose his right hand and flipped the symbiote the bird, not moving from where he was plastered on the floor.

You tried not to laugh. You did. Even drew a bit of blood from biting the inside of your cheek. "Are you alright?" you warbled, slapping your left hand over your mouth to silence yourself when Eddie rose his head to give you a long-suffering look.

Venom, deciding that Eddie was fine, extended tendrils to drop the container onto your lap, but not before snatching up a cookie. You thought he'd eat it, but the symbiote merely drooped to stick it into Eddie's mouth before, with a final snicker, he vanished into the 'clothes' that Eddie was wearing.

Busted ribs or no, it was the best laugh you'd had in a long time.  
.

.

.


	11. Chapter 11

.

.

.

Things kept up a weird, yet monotonous, feel - a circle of sleeping, painkillers, pampering and more sleeping - until a week later, when boredom drove you to stop feeling sorry for yourself. You skipped your dose of painkillers that knocked you out all the time, and got your ass up out of bed.

You were in the bathroom, naked, staring at your reflection in the small mirror above the sink contemplatively.

You ran your left hand over your head, feeling the so, so, short strands of your regrowing hair tickle your palm as you gazed at the mirror. Your hair wasn't even half an inch long yet, such a drastic change from the shoulder-length locks you'd once sported. The symbiote's healing had closed the ugly gash on your scalp, Venom's careful talons divesting you of the itchy stitches once the alien had made certain that the wound was properly healed.

Now, looking at yourself in the mirror, you were still mourning your hair. Though, without the ugly bruise on half of your face, and the myriad of cuts and scratches healed thanks to the symbiote, you looked almost back to normal.

Your right arm was still encased in a cast - deep wounds like broken bones had been beyond the symbiote's ability to heal - but the stump of your missing pinky was without bandage, the flesh and skin a healthy pink. You could even move it without pain, though the phantom sensation of your missing digit was still messing with your brain. And some of your fingertips were sensitive from a lack of fingernails, but healed enough that you could at least hold things.

The cuts and wounds on your left arm had been similarly healed and divested of stitches, the bruises there an ugly shade of greenish yellow, but almost gone. You felt that your meager 'thanks' to Venom for healing you wasn't even close to what he or Eddie deserved for taking such good care of you.

Huffing a sigh, you carefully pulled a tee over yourself, hiding your still slightly bruised torso from sight. Just over a week since leaving the hospital, and you were almost completely healed, barring your broken arm and still healing ribs, which were still sore, but as long as you kept your movements careful, things were easily manageable.

Eddie and Venom had been adamant on you staying put in the apartment, both of them still shaken from your abduction and torture. Honestly, you couldn't blame them. Every noise from the hallway while Eddie was off 'investigating' some new gang made you jump. But you were getting cabin fever: you missed your daily trip around the city. Definitely missed being able to play your guitar.

Pulling on a pair of jeans over your underwear, you gave yourself another quick look in the mirror, then exited the bathroom and padded barefoot over to the living-room.

You'd been afraid to check your guitar ever since Venom had brought it to the new apartment, and butterflies danced in your stomach as you picked up the battered case and carried it over to the small coffee table.

Sucking in a breath, you plopped down onto the couch, then reached out to trail your fingertips across the case, feeling the new bumps and scratches that had joined the old. You bit your lower lip, nervously, as you touched the latches, toying with them for a moment before unlocking them.

The guitar shone in the sunlight that was streaming through the windows, and you exhaled in relief upon seeing it.

It was still in one piece.

The bulky cast on your right arm made things difficult as you lifted the guitar, shifting until it rested in your arms. Rose your left hand to the neck, fingers brushing over the strings and checking the tuning pins.

And promptly discovered that the cast made it impossible to strum the strings properly; the bit of the cast that nestled against your palm to help immobilize your wrist and arm impeding your ability to properly bend your wrist to strum the strings.

Grumbling, you set the guitar back into the case, resting your elbows on your knees as you stared at it, contemplating your options, of which there were none.

No playing until the cast was off.

Shit.

Your fingertips itched, missing the feel of the strings.

Now what the hell were you going to do with all your spare time?

Daytime TV wasn't an option - it sucked, all talk shows and soaps. Eddie was out, and you'd promised not to leave the apartment without him, so that wasn't an option either. It didn't leave you with much to do.

Exhaling heavily, you got to your feet and did a search of the apartment, coming up with a day old newspaper that you'd already read, your own backpack - full of clothes, a measly hundred dollars in cash and extra strings for your guitar - and a telephone book.

Fucksakes, maybe taking a painkiller and knocking yourself out for the afternoon was a good idea.

Another groan left you as you dropped down onto the couch again, moving to sprawl across the length of it. "Bored," you announced to the empty room, as if that would change or improve your current situation.

Deciding that at least a crappy soap opera would be better than nothing, you reached out to grab the remote off the coffee table, blinding hitting buttons until the TV flicked on. A quick flip through the channels proved that your previous attitude about daytime TV was right - there was shit on.

Muttering, you stopped on a news channel for a minute, then changed the channel - you didn't need to know about the President's recent fuckery. _Finally_ managed to find a show on sharks on some nature channel, and you sighed as you carefully put your left arm behind your head, your right holding the remote and resting on your stomach.

It was a neat show, until you saw the Golden Gate Bridge in the background while a shark was munching on a seal. Well. There went any and all cravings you had to dip your toes into the ocean, thank you very much. The surfers that liked to ride the waves in the middle of shark feeding grounds were fucking _insane_.

Another look-through the channels found a jewel that you'd overlooked - an actual Joe Bonamassa concert on a PBS channel. Relieved that you'd found something you really enjoyed, you wriggled to get comfortable and closed your eyes as you listened to the music.

Your fingers twitched a little as you listened, almost feeling the strings of your guitar under your fingertips as you ghost-played along with some of the songs. It was soothing, calming, and you sighed, finally relaxing.

Must have fallen asleep, because a noise from the hallway had you jerking upright, eyes wide, heart hammering in your chest. Tensed, you were ready to make a run for the window and the fire escape just outside when the jingle of keys and the sound of the door unlocking gave you the final clue you needed to know that Eddie was back.

He stepped in and frowned, quirking a brow at you where you were half-risen off the couch, caught between fight or flight. Blushing, feeling stupid, you gave him a half-hearted smile and dropped back down onto the couch, trying to convince your heart that it really needed to slow down before it beat it's way out of your chest.

Eddie kicked the door shut - the sound making you jump a little - then set a small paper bag down onto the kitchen counter before moving to your side, dropping down onto the couch beside you. "Babe?"

You clasped your hands together to try to hide the trembling. "M'okay. Just, kinda... Jumpy?" _Why_ you'd phrased that as a question you had no idea. Fucksakes.

A sigh left him. "C'mere," he murmured, smirking at your gasp of surprise as a symbiote tendril lashed around your waist and lifted you, setting you down so you were straddling him. Ignoring how red you'd turned, Eddie wrapped you up in a hug, dropping a kiss to your shoulder as he held you close. "We're sorry. We were gone longer than we'd planned."

"S'okay," you lied, curling your own arms around him and snuggling close, swatting at the symbiote tendril that extended from his shoulder to poke you in the forehead. "Quit it."

A chuckle left him. "You do realize that it knows when you lie, right?"

"I bloody well do _now_ ," you groused, glaring at the bit of symbiote that caressed your cheek before returning to Eddie's 'shirt'. "Thanks _ever so_ for sharing."

"We worry, that's all," he told you, rubbing his hands up and down your back. "We didn't think- Shit, babe, why didn't you tell us it freaked you out to stay in the apartment alone?"

You frowned, ducking your head to avoid his gaze. "Because you have a life that doesn't revolve around me? Because I can't expect you to stay with me twenty-four-seven until I get my shit back together?"

Eddie gently nudged at you until you leaned back so he could meet your gaze, raising a hand to cup your cheek. "Hey. If you need us-"

"I can't ask you to put other people's lives at risk because I'm afraid," left you in a tired sigh, shaking your head a little when he started to protest. "I mean it. You save lives, Eddie. You and Venom. How can I ask you to stay here when I know it means someone else might get hurt or die?"

An equally tired sigh left him as he leaned in to kiss you, tenderly. "Babe, you can't think like that. It'll drive you crazy."

Your lips twitched. "I'm halfway there already. It'll be a short goddamn trip."

Eddie shook his head at your snark. "Don't deflect," he chided you gently. "We care about you, a lot. You take priority. We almost lost you, and we're still freaked out about that too. The symbiote's still pissed as all hell that those assholes took you. It's territorial, remember? Those guys invaded it's territory and took you and even though they're all dead, it's still on high alert. If it had a choice, we'd be practically attached to your hip. The only reason we _aren't_ is because I was worried we'd overwhelm you."

A weak laugh left you. "And I didn't want to overwhelm _you_. We suck at this."

He chuckled, leaning in to gently rest his forehead against yours. "Apparently."

The two of you stayed like that, just leaning against each other, for a few moments, before Eddie crossed the space between and kissed you. It was warm and gentle and you slid your left hand up into his hair as he cupped your face in his hands, tilting your head just a bit so he could deepen the kiss.

Felt the symbiote undulate against you as it gave up the semblance of clothing and simply reached out to wrap you up in dark tendrils, coiling around your legs and torso until you and Eddie were cradled in living darkness.

The two of you pulled away at the same time, drinking in air, a roguish smile tugging at Eddie's mouth as he lightly brushed his left thumb across your lips. "Got an idea: how about an early supper? We can go back to that Italian place."

You blinked, feeling the symbiote ripple across your spine, as if it sensed your hesitation. Hell, it probably could. "I look like hell," you frowned, raising a hand to your decimated hair, or lack thereof.

"You're gorgeous," he soothed, reaching up to pull your hand away from your head, kissing your knuckles. "And we'll drop kick anyone who says otherwise off the nearest roof."

"I'm bald," you lamented, trying not to whine.

"You're not _bald_ ," Eddie chided you, rubbing a hand over your scalp, where the ugly gash used to be, a dark tendril from the alien lightly smoothing across your cheek comfortingly. "They left you some fuzz."

"Oh _goody_. _Fuzz_."

A laugh left him at the sarcastic tone to your voice. "It'll grow back. Besides, we think you'll look good with short hair. You could get a pixie cut, or something badass, like shaving the sides and back of your head and letting the top grow in long."

You gave that some thought. "I'd have to go to a hairstylist when it's long enough."

"That can be arranged," he grinned, hugging you close again and pressing a kiss to your cheek. "We've been thinking of something, something we've wanted to do for you. But we don't want you to think it's charity - because it _isn't_. It's a _gift_ , something you can use, something practical."

One eyebrow rose curiously, and you leaned back into the dual hold of him and the symbiote as you rose your hands to cup his face, careful not to bang the edge of your cast into him. "And what might that be?"

"Clothes shopping."

"Clothes shopping?"

He chuckled at the baffled tone to your voice. "Well, while we're all for you wearing our hand-me-downs, you can't live with just a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Thought we'd bring you shopping. Our treat."

You blinked. This man was continuously throwing you for loops. "...nothing fancy. Thrift store only."

There was a moment where it looked like he might seriously argue. Instead, he sighed, shaking his head with a slight smile. "You sure? We were thinking somewhere a little less... pre-owned."

"The clothes there aren't that bad. They don't accept anything that isn't clean and in one piece. I've gotten my stuff there for years. And it's affordable."

"Alright. We'll-" He paused, head tilted as a symbiote tendril rose from the mass that was curled around the two of you to poke him in the neck. "Ah. Apparently we get to veto things that... smell bad? No, wait. Things that smell of sickness."

Your eyes widened a little, wondering just how sharp Venom's sense of smell was. "Oookay. Deal. Though a good wash at a laundromat tends to clean most things."

One of Eddie's shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "It's picky. Ow! Hey!" The last was because said tendril had grown teeth and nipped him on the ear. "And now it's calling me an asshole again."

You snickered, biting your lip when Eddie gave you a half-hearted glare. "Sorry."

"Uh huh." Though the smile he gave you lessened the unimpressed tone to his voice. "So! Dinner and shopping?"

The symbiote gave a shiver across your shoulders, gently prodding you, and you guessed that it was trying to goad you into saying 'yes'. "It's a date."

.

.

Despite your worries about your lack of hair, no one made any comments. Granted, that was probably for the better, because you had a suspicion that Eddie's joke about drop-kicking someone off a rooftop _hadn't_ been a joke to Venom. You didn't fancy being on the front page of a newspaper, screaming at an alien to put someone down while they dangled the poor soul off the rooftop.

It'd probably end up in the National Enquirer.

Either way, it was a great supper. Lasagna for you and spaghetti and meatballs for Eddie, with an awesome piece of cheesecake for dessert for you and something called 'creme brulee' for Eddie. The guitarist that had been there the first time the two of you had gone had even reassured you that once the cast was off, that you _would_ be able to play the guitar again. Apparently he'd had a spill off a bicycle a few years back and shattered his arm in two places. It was more than you needed to know, but his friendliness and reassurance was appreciated.

At least from you. You'd heard a growl from Eddie's direction, and upon glancing at him, had seen him roll his eyes and casually reach up to finger flick the collar of his 'shirt'.

Okie dokie then.

Still, it had been nice. Afterwards, you led Eddie a few blocks East to your favorite thrift store, the huge place full of knick knacks, clothes and used books.

You and Eddie split up to do the most searching. He went for the tops and you went for the jeans. The first pink, horribly frilly, thing he'd playfully suggested had gotten a hanger thrown at him, and you got a glare and a disapproving 'tsk' from one of the staff as a result.

Blushing, and sending some glares of your own at a snickering Eddie, you rifled through the clothing, searching for something your size. Had to hold up a couple of jeans up to yourself, muttering about people not having hips as you were forced to put back some of your favorite picks.

Finally though, you managed to find three pairs of jeans that were practically new, two blue and one black. Wandered over to Eddie - picking up a pair of black ankle-high biker boots along the way - and blinked when you saw that he had an armful of at least twenty shirts. "How many people you planning on clothing, hun?"

He looked a little embarrassed. "We, ah, weren't sure what you'd like. There's a couple of music tees, and some shirts... We found a blouse we think will compliment your eyes and-"

You cut him off with a quick kiss. "You're cute. Lemme see what you found."

Turned out, only three of the shirts weren't to your tastes, and you waffled on the remainder, frowning uncertainly. Tried to get a look at the price tags, except Eddie smirked and held the shirts behind his back, out of reach. "Eddie..."

"Our treat, remember? C'mon over here, we saw a leather jacket you might like."

"I don't really need-"

He paused at your hesitation, reaching out with his free hand to touch your cheek. "Babe, your other one's kinda done for. C'mere and try it on."

You thought back to your old jacket. It had been with you for seven years, but Eddie had a point - it was falling apart, and thanks to the fight in the Park, was now bloodstained and sliced up. Exhaling, you let him tug you over to the rack of jackets, eyes widening when he pulled out a near pristine black motorcycle jacket. Curious, you reached out to touch the sleeve, making a noise of surprise when you realized that it was real leather.

"Here, give us those jeans and boots and try it on," Eddie coaxed, gently taking the clothes from your arms and then handing you the jacket.

Frowning a little, you slid your arms into the sleeves and shrugged it the rest of the way on, that frown vanishing when it fit you like it had been tailored. It even fit over the bulk of your cast. "Oh, wow."

"Sold."

You blinked and looked up at Eddie. "I couldn't-"

The troubled expression on your face made him frown, his free hand rising to rub along your left arm. "What's wrong?"

"I..." The feeling of something curling around your fingers made you look down at the symbiote tendril that was holding your left hand. "I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

Eddie looked like you'd hit him in the head with a sledgehammer. "What?"

"It's just..." You closed your eyes to save yourself from having to look at him in the eye. For twelve years, you'd been on your own, scraping by, barely surviving. And even though Eddie said that it was a gift, you felt guilty and horrible for accepting. "You've done so much for me, and I can't... I can't reciprocate. There's nothing I can offer you except thanks and it doesn't feel like that's enough. I can't even pay you back, not until my arm heals and I can play again - and that'll take weeks!"

"Hey, hey..." He turned and dropped his armful of clothes onto a nearby chair, turning to pull your slumped form into a hug. "We want to do this for you."

"I know. I _know_." You clutched at him, hiding your face against his shoulder. "I just feel so... _useless_."

"You're still healing," he soothed, rubbing a hand up and down your back, the symbiote using your proximity to lightly stroke a tendril across your cheek, only able to do so because your body hid it from view "It's only been a little over a week since that massive clusterfuck, babe. You have to give it time."

Frowning, you leaned into him. You knew everything he'd said was true. Everything just felt so off-kilter. Goddamn near death experience was fucking with your head. "O-okay." You drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly, trying to re-center yourself. "Okay. I'm better. Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." He dropped a kiss onto your forehead.

Instead of doing something normal, like giving him a hug, you ended up blurting out something that had been bugging you for a while. "How do you do it? Manage to stay sane after...everything?"

Eddie sent a wary glance at the most empty store around you, then met your gaze again. "Truthfully, the symbiote helps. It doesn't always understand the human mindset, but it listens and tries to help the best it can. It's a predator, obviously, so it took it some time to understand 'remorse' and 'morals' and the stress and fear after a fight or a kill. But it tries." He leaned in to press a kiss to your lips. " _You_ help. Your sense of humor, your trust and friendship, you mean a lot to us- to _me_."

A blush warmed your face. "You mean a lot to me, too. Both of you, which is still weird, but I'm going with it."

"We're glad you're going with it," he murmured with a smile. "Let's wrap things up here and get some ice cream. I haven't introduced the symbiote to ice cream yet, it'll be interesting."

The smirk on his face make you laugh. "Okay."

.

.

.

.

* * *

Hello all! I can't really reply to comments here on ffnet, but I do appreciate every comment! Also, over on my AO3, I have a load of filled prompts that are Reader/Venom and a few Reader/Ultron, so go check them out if you want more stuff! You can also find me on my tumblr! (Links in my bio)


	12. Chapter 12

.

.

.

Yeah, introducing the symbiote to ice cream was, possibly, not Eddie's greatest idea. The alien was low key addicted to chocolate to begin with. Chocolate cookie dough ice cream in a wafer cone dipped in chocolate? Yeah. Not the best idea.

Apparently it had chanted 'chocolate, chocolate, chocolate' all the way back to the apartment. Enough that, once you were in the apartment building's elevator, away from prying eyes, Eddie had handed you the bags of clothes, then started banging his head against the wall.

You bit your lip to keep from laughing, practically holding your breath to stay in control. Barely managed to keep an innocent look on your face when Eddie glanced at you suspiciously. Couldn't help an amused, "I didn't say anything."

"Uh huh."

"I didn't!"

He abandoned trying to whack a dent into the elevator and advanced on you, and you laughed as you ducked out of his reach, using the bags to shield yourself. There was no where to hide though, and he quickly cornered you, giving you a smirk that meant trouble.

"I should get a medal for not saying anything!" you snickered as you used a bag to gently whack him in the hip, ducking past him when the elevator dinged, the doors sliding open. You made it to the apartment door before hands took hold of your shoulders, turning you around so your back was pressed to the door.

"A medal, hmm?" Eddie chuckled, caging you with his arms before leaning in to kiss you, humming when you dropped the bags of clothes and reached up to curl your arms around his neck.

"A fancy one," you murmured against his mouth, snickering when he rolled his eyes at you.

His hands dropped to your hips, wrapping around your waist, careful to avoid your still tender ribs. "With or without bling?"

"With, of course!"

"Of course," Eddie drawled with a smirk before capturing your lips again, one hand raising to gently tilt your head so he could deepen the kiss. He still tasted of chocolate, and you smiled a little, playfully nipping at his bottom lip. Heard a growl, and blinked as the symbiote reached out to cover your hands behind Eddie's neck, curling around your fingers, another tendril lashing around your waist.

"Maybe we should go inside before someone sees us?" you suggested as blackness inched up your left arm, caressing your skin.

"Probably a good idea," he mumbled against your lips, stealing another kiss before both he and the symbiote pulled away.

You moved to grab the dropped bags, only Eddie beat you to it, winking at you as he lowered his left hand towards his 'pocket', smiling a little as a key was deposited into his palm. You huffed a laugh as he unlocked and opened the door, gesturing for you to precede him into the apartment. "And _I'm_ the stubborn one?"

He laughed, low and smug, shifting his weight to kick the apartment door shut behind him. "Us? Stubborn? Nope. Not us."

"Uh huh. Sure." You scratched at the itchy, healed, scar on your left arm as you moved to toe your sneakers off, glad you'd found some boots to replace them - they were really worn down.  
Granted, you felt just as worn down, and you mentally cursed as you tried and failed to muffle a yawn. "Goddamn it."

Eddie paused to kiss your cheek as he carried the bags to the bedroom. "Go sit, babe. We'll be there in a second."

Sitting down sounded really good. Scratching at your arm again, you walked over and carefully lowered yourself onto the couch, sighing as you relaxed. "Can't believe I'm so tired."

"First big outing since the clusterfuck," Eddie reasoned from the other room. It had been agreed between the two of you that 'clusterfuck' was a good name for what had happened. Mostly because just mentioning the Life Foundation, Suit, or the Thugs gave you a low-key panic attack.

"But the symbiote healed me!"

"As much as it could, yeah. But it couldn't heal your internal trauma," he told you as he walked into the living-room, stopping by the fridge to get a glass of orange juice. "You got beat up, and your bones are still mending. It takes it's toll. Trust me, I wiped out on my motorcycle a few years back and even though I just had bruises, I was mess for weeks."

A groan of frustration left you. "Ugh."

"That's exactly what I said at the time. Except with more swearing."

You chuckled tiredly. "Didn't want to offend you with a torrent of cursing."

"Nah. We've heard it all." He dropped down onto the couch next to you, and offered you the juice and the painkillers he'd brought from the bedroom. "Here."

Felt a blush on your face as you accepted the glass and the pill that Eddie dropped into your open palm. "Thanks. I apologize in advance for konking out on you."

"We can always go out later," he said with a mischievous glint to his steel blue eyes. "If I have to be driven crazy by a symbiote wanting chocolate then so do you."

A laugh bubbled out of you. "Oh _goody_." And got a front row seat to the symbiote extending a tendril to whack Eddie upside the head. Cackled a little before popping the painkiller into your mouth and gulping down some OJ. Afterwards, you reached out to set the glass onto the coffee table before snuggling into Eddie's side, laughing when the symbiote lashed tendrils around you and hauled you onto Eddie's lap. "Guess I'm sitting here now."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around you, tucking you close. "S'okay. Like having you here," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. His 'shirt' flushed black, the symbiote reaching out to wrap both of you up in darkness, holding you both. "Wanna watch some TV?"

"Sure." It was the symbiote that took control of the remote, swatting at Eddie when he tried to reach for it. You quirked a brow, wondering what you'd end up watching, and then burst out laughing when the channel surfing stopped on a competition cake baking show. "Should've known."

And suddenly, you knew what you could do to thank them. Before you'd run away from home, before the hell with your step-mother, before the darkness of losing your father, you'd been quite the baker. It had been a while, but certainly you could still follow instructions. All it would take was a quick run to the Library and then a grocery store for supplies.

Eddie must have noticed your grin, because he gently nudged you. "You look like you're about to bust into your own private musical."

"I just figured out what I can do to thank you. Ah! Hush. I'm not asking for permission, I'm informing you on what's gonna happen." He rolled his eyes at you at that, and you snickered as you snuggled into him some more. "I'm going shopping tomorrow. And _no_ , I don't need a chaperone. It'll ruin the surprise. No coming home earlier than you did today either - which means _don't worry_. I'll be fine."

The symbiote gave you a gentle squeeze as Eddie rose a hand to your face, lightly caressing your cheek. "We'll worry anyway. How about this? We'll get some burner phones or something - we know a guy. At least then, if anything happens, we can easily get in touch with each other. _And_ , we can text you before we come home so you don't lock us out."

"Oh, _please_ , you'd just climb through the window."

He laughed. "Well, yes. But, that's not the point."

"Sounds fine. I trust you, you know that."

"We do, and we're very thankful for it."

You glanced up at him at the wonder in his voice, smiling a little, and you rose your left hand to his face, fingers feeling the rasp of his stubble before you kissed him. There were butterflies in your stomach. Things were happening - _had_ happened - so fast, and were continuing at that speed, and you were struggling to keep up.

So you poured your emotions into your kiss, hearing his groan as he held you closer, smiling against your lips. Felt the symbiote curl around you and squeeze, gently, in it's version of a hug, and you sighed as you snuggled into both of their holds, safe and, dare you think it - happy.

.

* * *

.

The painkiller did eventually knock you out sometime before the cake judging on the TV show, and you were so tired that you welcomed the chance to sleep.

Had no idea how long you slept, only that when you cracked an eye open untold hours later, the bedroom was dark, the usual sounds of traffic and City life from the open windows in the living-room absent.

You were sprawled on your stomach, still clothed, arms wrapped around your pillow, a large form pressed up to your side. The sounds of low, rumbling, breaths let you know that it was Venom that was sleeping next to you, and shifting a little told you that he had numerous tendrils curled around you.

Yawning a little, you gingerly stretched, the painkillers that were still in your system dulling the usual ache of your ribs. Murmured Venom's name, and instantly felt movement from the body next to you. He shifted, spooning your side, his arm draping across you, talons inching under the hem of your tee to draw circles on the small of your back.

"SLEEP WELL, OUR STAR?" rumbled against your ear, fangs nipping at your shoulder before a hot tongue laved at the same spot.

"Mm, yeah." You shifted a little, gingerly rolling onto your side to press your back to his chest and closing your eyes when he hugged you close, nuzzling at you.

He exhaled against your scalp, then rubbed his cheek against your very short hair. "HEH, HEH. TICKLES."

"Quit it." Laughing, you gently shoved at him, rolling your eyes when he snickered and trailed his tongue along your jawline.

"DON'T WANT TO," Venom purred, licking at your cheek before shifting, gently coaxing you to roll onto your back so he could lean down and kiss you, the growl that left him spilling into your mouth and making you shiver. "MMM. THERE'S STILL ENOUGH TIME. WE WANT TO GO SEE THE STARS. COME WITH US?"

You frowned a little, raising your left hand place it on his chest, over his - Eddie's - heart. "You could have woken me if you wanted to go earlier."

A calming purr left him as he playfully nipped at your chin. "YOU NEEDED YOUR REST, LITTLE STAR. SKIPPING YOUR PAINKILLERS LIKE YOU DID WASN'T WISE."

"Wha... How the hell can you _possibly_ know that?"

He chuckled and buried his face against your throat, licking at your pulse. "WE KNOW YOUR SCENT, VERY WELL, OUR STAR. CAN TELL WHEN YOU HURT, WHEN YOU'RE SCARED, EVEN WHEN YOU SKIP YOUR MEDS."

"Anything else I need to know?" you drawled, poking him in the ribs. "Gonna tell me you're a mind reader too?"

"CAN ONLY SHARE THOUGHTS WITH EDDIE." He paused for a moment, gazing at you quietly. "THOUGH WE SOMETIMES WISH WE COULD DO THE SAME WITH YOU."

The wistful tone of his voice made you raise a hand to his cheek, smiling a little when he turned his head to nuzzle your palm, long tongue curling around your wrist. "All you have to do is ask, and I'll tell you. Not what your surprise is going to be though, so don't try."

"DAMN."

You snickered and reached out to hug him, laughing outright when he grabbed you and moved to sit up, depositing you so you were straddling his lap. Honestly, you had no idea why he and Eddie preferred to hold you that way, but as he wrapped tendrils around you, then rose his hands to cup your face, talons gentle on your skin before he lowered his mouth to yours, you really couldn't bring yourself to care.

That hunger was back at full force, pulling an involuntary moan from you as he carefully slipped the tip of his tongue past your lips, gently exploring. A deep bass growl vibrated out of him, and you clutched at his shoulders, gasping for air when he pulled back and ducked his head to nuzzle and lick and bite at your throat.

"You really are... going to drive me crazy," you gasped, shivering as he tugged at your tee, baring your left shoulder so he could lick at more skin.

"WHAT WAS IT YOU SAID? SHORT TRIP?"

You managed to sound affronted, even as Venom licked a path from your shoulder up to behind your left ear. "Don't use my snark against me!"

"HEH. YOU WEREN'T USING IT AT THE TIME." Apparently done with driving you crazy for the moment, he lifted you into his arms, cradling you against his chest as he rose from the bed. Tendrils extended from him, reaching into the bags of clothes you hadn't put away yet, and you smiled a little as he slipped your new boots onto your feet.

Afterwards, Venom carried you to the main room, pausing to snatch something out of a cupboard before heading over to the window, using another tendril to hike it fully open as he set you on your feet. "WE GO FIRST. THERE'S NO FIRE ESCAPE HERE."

"Okay." It shouldn't have been so easy for someone of his massive size to slip through such a small window, but he managed without a single issue. Watched him as he clung to the side of the building, those pale eyes narrowing as he gave the street below a cautious look before he held his left hand out to you.

Swallowing around the lump in your throat, you let him guide you out the window, only relaxing once you were safely in his grasp, his left arm clutching at you while you curled your arms around his neck.

"HOLD TIGHT," Venom purred to you, wrapping a large tendril around your waist to anchor you to him before he launched off the side of the building.

Really, even though you trusted him, it was hard to keep from screaming. Gravity fought to pull the two of your to your deaths, only Venom's webbing keeping that from coming true as he sent a line out to a nearby building and swung the two of you across an intersection.

It took a moment before you were able to literally _force_ yourself to relax, firmly reminding yourself that Venom would _never_ drop you. Kept your eyes open despite the urge to hide your face against his neck, looking far ahead to keep from getting dizzy at how fast the two of you were moving.

The Golden Gate Bridge loomed in your vision ten minutes later, and you frowned. Now that you were out of the city, the clouds were painfully visible. How were you supposed to see the stars when the sky was clouded over?

Venom's grip shifted then, talons tightening on your hip as he started heading up along the suspension cables. You didn't realize until you were almost _in_ one, but the clouds were lower than you'd ever seen, and you tightened your arms around Venom in surprise as he swung the two of you _through_ one, the red of the nearby Bridge the only landmark you could make out in the fog.

Above the clouds, the sky was clear as ever, a half moon sitting low in the sky. It was eerie, all you could see was the South Tower of the Bridge poking out amongst an an ocean of clouds.

A harsh yank on a webline sent the two of you shooting upwards, Venom twisting a little in mid air before landing heavily on the Tower.

"I never knew the Bridge was tall enough to go above the clouds," you admitted as Venom moved to sit at the edge of the Tower, setting you down so you were sitting across his lap. "It's beautiful."

"DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN. HONESTLY, WE WEREN'T SURE THE SKIES WOULD BE CLEAR," he rumbled as he wrapped his arms around you, tucking you close. Only once you were settled did he shift a little, a tendril extending from his side to drop a package of chocolate candy onto your lap. "BROUGHT SNACKS."

You snickered and dutifully ripped the bag open. The candies were a little melted from his body heat, but you didn't hesitate as you plucked one of the gooey pieces from the bag, a bit of chocolate pooling in your palm as you offered Venom the first piece. Shivered when wicked fangs grazed your fingers, a long, entirely perverted growl leaving him as he leisurely coiled his tongue around your fingers, cleaning up every drip and bit of chocolate from your skin before laping at the rest on your palm.

Did your best to keep from thinking what else that tongue of his could do as you sent him a mock glare, ignoring his knowing snicker. "Am I allowed to have some?"

"OF COURSE, OUR STAR." He stole the bag from you, plucking a piece between two talons, grinning as he offered it to you.

Figuring that payback was perfectly warrented, you obediantly opened your mouth, sucking at his talons when he dropped the chocolate onto your tongue. He hissed, eyes narrowing, and you snickered as you pulled back. "What? I can't drive you crazy?"

A shudder went through him, the arm he had bracing your back flexing, bringing you closer to his chest. When you smirked a little, he growled and grabbed at you, kissing you, hard, hungry, licking at your lips afterwards. "BAD, LITTLE STAR. TEASING US LIKE THAT."

"Oh, so it's alright when _you_ drive me crazy but I'm not allowed to turn the tables on you?"

He chuckled, lowly. "EXACTLY."

You rolled your eyes at him and snatched the bag of chocolates back. "Explain to me why that's fair," you muttered, popping a candy into your mouth.

"BECAUSE EDDIE SAID WE MUST BE PATIENT," he told you, purring as he nuzzled at your scalp. "AND WE CANNOT BE PATIENT IF WE LOSE CONTROL OF OURSELVES."

The realisation that both of them were waiting for you to take the next step made you sigh a little, a bit of self-deprication rising in you. Dumbass. You needed to get your shit together. And soon. "I'm sorry."

Venom gave you a look of surprise and shock. "SORRY?"

"For taking things so slow. For not being ready to-"

"STOP."

Shock at the angry snarl had you jerking your head up to meet Venom's gaze, and you automatically started to apologize again, only to fall silent when he rose a talon to your lips.

"THERE IS NO BLAME TO BE HAD IN THIS, LITTLE STAR. WE-" He paused, then snarled. "HMFPT. EDDIE WISHES TO SPEAK TO YOU."

You worried the bag of chocolates in your hands as you watched the symbiote pull away from Eddie's face, baring his head and shoulders. Blinked when his first move was to finger flick you in the forehead.

Ignoring your glare, Eddie gently caught your chin in his left hand, forcing you to meet his gaze. "Don't you dare blame yourself. We- _I'm_ not quite ready to take the next step either. I like that things are going slow with us, babe, because I want this to _last_. I don't want some short fling, I want something concrete, something that isn't meaningless sex. You're important to me, _and_ to Venom. We don't want to ruin what we have with you by rushing into something neither of us is ready for. You're the first person I've dated since being bonded to the symbiote, and I _want_ to take this slow so that there aren't any misunderstandings. Okay?"

"...okay," you murmured, dropping the bag of chocolate onto your lap as you threw your arms around him in a hug. "I'm still sorry."

He chuckled a little and returned the hug, wrapping you up in his arms. "You don't have to be," he chided gently, pressing a kiss to the side of your head. "Silly girl."

"My neuroses and I resent that."

Another laugh left him. "You're not the only anxious one in this relationship, babe."

"I know. I just... I plan. I plan for the best and worst case scenarios and..." You hid your face against his neck, sighing. "And I'm afraid that I'm gonna ruin this somehow. Because it still seems too good to be true."

Eddie cuddled you close, resting his cheek on the top of your head. "Think of it from our side: monsters rarely get the girl."

You poked him in the ribs. "Not a monster."

"Not to you. For which we are eternally grateful."

"I've met monsters, hell, I lived with one." You hugged him as tight as you could with a cast on, shivering when the symbiote brushed a tendril against your cheek. "You're not a monster, Eddie. You or Venom."

There was a definite hitch in his breath when he spoke. "Thanks, babe."

"Anytime."

.

.

.


	13. Chapter 13

.

.

.

The next morning, you basically kicked Eddie out of the apartment, ordering him to go do his 'hero thing' while you worked on his surprise. Knew that he was still investigating some new gang and their movements, and while you knew that the symbiote would keep him safe, you still told him to be careful.

Afterwards, you spent a couple of hours running up and down from the basement, washing your newly bought clothes. Only when they were clean did you pull on some fresh-from-the-dryer jeans and a camo tee, nervously rubbing a hand over your head before stomping into your boots. A quick pause to take half a painkiller and to scrounge up the money out of your backpack - and the hundred that Eddie had left you 'for emergencies' - and you were on your way.

It was a little weird to be out and about again. The first time without Eddie's comforting presence by your side. But your knowledge of the City, and your years of being on the streets quickly eased your nerves. Though you made certain to keep an eye on everything and everyone around you.

First stop - a new bra, because your old one was a mess of blood and stains that you hadn't been able to get out, no matter now much detergent you'd used. It was gross to the point that you'd thrown it out.

You ignored the lure of the high end stores, trekking out to a store that was aimed at a more middle-class clientele. Managed to find yourself two bras, five underwear and a little surprise for Eddie - for when you were ready to take that next step.

After that, it was a quick stop at the Library, where you claimed a computer station and hunted down some easy-to-do recipes. Hadn't realized the vastness of recipe sites on the net until then, but managed to narrow the results down by difficulty and the prices of ingredients.

Used up all your quarters to print out a dozen varied recipes, rolling the printed pages up and stuffing them into the bag with your new underclothes before heading out again. Next was a small shop that sold bulk foods. You'd learned long ago that buying things at the bulk shop was sometimes cheaper than the actual grocery stores.

Which was good considering the amount of ingredients you needed to buy. Shuffling through the recipes and mentally counting out what you'd require took longer than you thought, but at least you only bought the amounts needed. They even had some inexpensive baking sheets and cake pans, which you happily grabbed what you needed when you saw that they were on sale.

Guessed that you saved at least fifty bucks by going the bulk way, and though the reusable bag was heavy on your left shoulder when you left the store - aggravating your ribs to all hell - but you trekked on.

Finally, you dragged your weary self into the grocery store, happy to dump the heavy bag from the bulk shop into a cart. Groaning, stretching a little, you rolled your shoulders until feeling returned, then went on the hunt. Fresh fruit was expensive, so you went for the frozen isle instead, even going as far as to buy yourself a few treats when you saw some sales.

Bought store-brand where you could in the baking isle, shuffling through the sheets of recipes numerous times to make certain that you weren't forgetting anything.

It was only when your stomach growled that you realized that you hadn't eaten yet - morning coffee and half a painkiller certainly didn't count. So you wandered around, pausing at the ready made meal section and picking up a piece of Shepard's Pie to reheat back at the apartment.

The checkout ate up your remaining funds, and you left with a second heavy, reusable bag. Groaning at the weight, you slung one bag onto your left shoulder and clutched the second's strap in your left hand - your right arm still hurt far too much for you to try carrying a heavy bag on that side.

Trudging back to the apartment was almost a torment, especially with your nerves making you take a round about way back. You were exhausted, sweaty, and cursing by the time you reached the building, panting as you rode the elevator up to the correct floor.

Finally, _finally_ , you stepped into the apartment, groaning in relief as you dumped the two bags onto the counter, rotating your sore shoulder and wiggling your fingers in an attempt to get circulation back to your digits.

Your ribs were _not happy_ , and you took another half dose of painkiller as you got changed out of your sweaty clothes, checking your new underthings before pulling on fresh underwear and a new bra. It felt good, almost luxurious, to have new things. Even things as small as a bra and panties, and you mused that this must be the 'good life' as you hopped into another pair of jeans and a tank top.

Near wiggling with happiness in your new things, you padded back to the kitchen, methodically emptying the bags, setting things into specific piles. Dry ingredients to the left, perishable to the right, and lunch into the microwave.

While the countdown to food went on, you put things away where needed, folded the empty bags and shoved them into an empty drawer. The new pans and baking sheets were set into the filled sink, and you managed to get three of them washed before the microwave beeped.

"Thank the Microwave Gods, _food!_ " Your stomach gave an agreeing grumble as you pulled the plastic container out, the scent of mashed potatoes, corn and meat making your mouth water.

You ate in front of the TV, watching the news, a laugh leaving you when the local station reported that some people had been found trapped in webbing, dangling upside down from a street light with smashed AK47s and cocaine bricks attached to them.

Awesomeness.

Obviously Eddie and Venom were making leeway.

Snickering at the blubbering bad guys on TV as they were filmed being 'rescued' - none of them could form a coherent sentence - you polished off your lunch, burping softly. Outright laughed when one of the gang members started gibbering about a 'monster'.

Monster, yeah right. Though, perhaps your view was a little skewed. Hard to think of Venom as a monster when you were the only one who knew that he _purred_.

Still, watching some buff gang guy be reduced to sniffles by your odd boyfriend was a little funny. Again, your opinion was skewed, but hell, you'd take Venom over some drug pusher any day.

Shaking your head, you did a cursory look through the channels for something to listen to while you baked, grumbling a little when nothing stood out. Deciding that silence was better than some of the crap on daytime TV, you turned the screen off, then rose and headed for the kitchen.

Finished washing the new pans and cookie sheets before cleaning the reusable container your lunch had come in. While the sink emptied, you spread out the dozen recipes on the small breakfast table, eyeing each in turn. Cookies didn't take long, but a cake would need to bake for almost an hour.

Cake first then.

Humming, you dried off the cake pans, then gathered everything you'd need, humming as you did so. Baking brought back good memories of having fun with your Dad, of licking the beaters after he'd made a batch of cookies, sprinkle wars that broke out in the middle of decoration.

It made your heart ache, but in a good way. You thought of your father every time you looked at your guitar - the thing that he'd died going to buy for you. But rarely did you remember _good times_. They had been overshadowed by his death, and your step-mother's cruelty.

You were glad that you could still _remember_ the good times. A small part of you had been afraid that you'd forgotten them.

So you sang one of your father's favorite songs while you made the batter, the lyrics of The Beatles 'Let it Be' - a song that your Dad had said helped him remember your mother - echoing slightly in the apartment as you worked. Seamlessly flowed into Eric Clapton's 'Tears in Heaven' afterwards, voice strong and sure, the words coming to you effortlessly.

Two more songs, and the batter was in the pans and in the oven. You hummed your way though 'Wonderwall' while making the icing, a quick enough task thanks to the hand held mixer you'd bought on sale at the grocery store, of all places.

Cake baking, icing done, you did the dishes again, cleaning up after yourself. Still had almost an hour to wait before the timer on the oven dinged, so you put together a first batch of chocolate chip cookies, then shoved the bowl of batter into the fridge to chill.

Which now left you with forty-five minutes of waiting time.

Crap.

Shrugging, you did a quick clean up, then went to stretch out on the couch, yawning. You were sore, your healing body not appreciating what you'd forced it to do, but you didn't care. Hoped beyond hope that Eddie and Venom would like what you'd made, but considering the symbiote's almost addict-like behavior around chocolate, you figured you were safe enough.

Actually managed to snooze a bit, if the sudden sound of the timer going off was any sign. You felt like you'd _just_ lain down, but apparently a chunk of time had gone by. The hell body?

Groaning, grumbling like an old, crotchety, woman, you hauled yourself off of the couch and staggered to the kitchen, swearing at the loud buzzer as you punched at buttons until it shut up.

The cake smelled like _heaven_ as you pulled the two cake pans out, setting them on the far end of the counter to cool. Altering the oven's heat and spooning the cookie batter onto sheets took only a handful of minutes, and then you had the scent of gooey chocolate chip cookies wafting from the oven as they cooked.

Another thing on the menu was something that you loved, something that you and your father had experimented with until it had become the perfect recipe - fruitcake cookies. Sweet and full of candied fruits - you hadn't had them in over a decade.

Way, _way_ , overdue.

You knew the recipe off by heart, but it was the sheer amount of ingredients and the careful mixing that took the most time. Even knowing that it was frowned upon - though you'd yet to hear of a death from cookie batter - you licked the beaters clean, humming at the taste that brought more happy memories to the forefront.

Mused that you might not let Eddie or Venom have any, snickering at the thought of trying to fight the symbiote for cookies. Maybe you could flash him and make a run for it while he was distracted.

Snickering, you pulled the finished chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, carefully transferring them onto a plate before giving the still warm cookie sheet a quick wipe down and setting dollops of fruitcake cookie batter onto it.

Back into the oven the sheets went. You washed the mixing bowl again, then went and flipped the cake pans over, setting the two layers onto separate plates that you shoved into the fridge to speed up their cooling.

Then, you waffled. You technically had more than enough, but you'd seen what Eddie, and Venom, could put away. Seriously, how they weren't five hundred pounds was a mystery, probably the dual metabolism of human and alien ate through calories, but still.

A glance at the clock and some mental math, and you snatched up another recipe from the table and quickly threw things together. White chocolate and raspberries, what could go wrong with that combo? And if Venom and Eddie turned their cohabiting noses up at the blondie bars, more food for you!

You swore, you'd washed more pans and bowls that afternoon than you had in years. Luckily you'd been careful, your cast was cleanish and dry - supposedly it was waterproof, but you didn't want to test that too much. A quick wipe with a dry dish cloth eliminated some dusting of icing sugar and flour, the blue fiberglass regaining it's proper colouring.

Bouncing on your toes, you looked at the time. Less than an hour before Eddie would be home.

You stood in front of the oven, staring at the timer, for another ten minutes, forcing yourself to wait until the last possible minute - wanting to give the cake as much time to chill as possible. It drove you crazy. Seriously, you twitched. At least switching the fruitcake cookies out of the over for the blondie bars gave you something to do, for a whole minute. Gah.

Finally allowed yourself off your mental leash, taking the two pieces of cake out of the fridge. They were cool to the touch, thank the baking Gods, and you gave a little wiggle of happiness as you went to work, evening out the two layers, then frosting the first layer, dropping the second on, and then frosting it. Covered it in chocolate you shaved off a bar with a knife, and the leftover raspberries and white chocolate chips from the blondie bars.

Hot damn, you could be a baker. It looked awesome. Smelled even better, and you snickered as you allowed yourself to wipe your left finger through the remainder of the icing in the bowl, bringing it to your lips. Chocolate buttercream icing, so much better than store bought. That remaining bit went into a coffee mug and into the fridge for safe keeping.

Anxiety and a mix of anticipation had you rushing to clean up, washing the cake pans and setting them to dry on the rack. The blondie's still had ten minutes to go, so you left them to cook. The two batches of cookies were carefully arranged on plates, then put on the small table, with the cake as the centerpiece.

Gathered up the recipes and darted into the bedroom to hide them in your bag of clothes - why, you had no idea, but your nerves said do it, so do it you did.

Panting, you finished your whirlwind of cleaning; putting things away, wiping down the counter, giving the sink another rinse to clean off the sides and then giving your tee a wipe with the damp dish cloth to get rid of the spattering of batter and flour that stained it.

You were a little dizzy by the end as you dropped down onto the couch, sprawling across the cushions, but you figured it was worth it. Cursed up a storm seconds later when the oven timer went off, flipping the appliance the bird before groaning loudly and hauling yourself to your feet. The smell of the blondie bars made up for your aching body as you pulled them out of the oven, reaching out to shut off the timer and the oven proper.

They were too hot to bother slicing yet, so you merely set the pan on the stove top to cool before returning to the couch, pausing to eye everything warily before dropping down onto it again. Mentally refused to move for _anything_ except Eddie getting home - and you sent a wary look at the closed apartment door, almost daring him to walk through it.

When no appearance of your boyfriend occurred, you went limp on the couch, sighing. Tired yet proud, that was you. Sore as well, and you couldn't take another painkiller until it was time to go to bed, but it was worth it.

Maybe you could use a piece of cake to bribe Eddie into massaging your shoulders.

The thought made you stupidly happy. Hadn't realized how much you'd missed the ins and outs of living with someone. You'd honestly forgotten how nice it was to do something for someone else, just for the hell of it. Too much time alone, living from day to day on the scraps of what people gave you. Too jaded by the harshness of life on the streets.

Only a little over a month living with Eddie, and you felt almost domesticated. Like a feral cat taken off the streets by a little old lady. With teeth.

Snickering at the mental image, you wriggled to get more comfortable on the couch, then closed your eyes, relaxing. Didn't _quite_ doze off, not enough to sleep through the sound of keys outside the apartment door anyway.

Eyes narrowing in case you needed to get up and kick someone's ass, you rose yourself up on an elbow, the urge to get up and beat someone to death vanishing when Eddie stepped over the threshold.

"Babe, we may have to canvas the building because _someone_ baked something awesome... smelling?" He paused in the doorway, eyes wide as he took in the baked goods on the small kitchen table.

Grinning, you slowly got to your feet. "Surprise?"

"... _You_ did this?"

"Sure as fuck wasn't Batman," you quipped, snickering at the look he gave you. "I, um, figured out how I could say thanks. Sort of. Do you... do you like it?"

The obviously painful uncertainly in your voice made him jerk his gaze to you. He was across the apartment in three large strides, lifting you up off your feet and into a hug. "We love our surprise," he grinned, spinning you around. "We didn't know you could bake!"

"It was... Something Dad and I used to do," you told him with a smile as you curled your arms around his neck, careful of your cast. Symbiote tendrils extended from his 'shirt' coiling around your waist and arms, squeezing gently. "I wanted to do something nice for you and Venom."

"This is beyond 'nice'," Eddie murmured, shifting his grip on you so he could raise his right hand to your face, fingers caressing your cheek before he leaned in to kiss you. "Mm. Come how us what you made. It smells _wonderful_."

Repressing the urge to grin like a maniac, you wiggled out of Eddie's hold and took one of his hands, nearly dragging him over to the table, much to his obvious amusement. Went into detail about what you'd made, calmly waving a symbiote tendril away from the cake as you spoke.

You were almost bouncing on your feet by the end of it, thrilled that both he and the symbiote liked your gift. Watched raptly as Eddie plucked up one of the chocolate chip cookies, his face carefully blank as he ate it. When his expression didn't change, your stomach dropped.

And then you nearly killed him when he burst out laughing. Actually lunged at him, glaring when he effortlessly grabbed your left arm, spun you around so your back was to his chest, and wrapped you up in a hug. "You're mean!"

"Couldn't help it," Eddie snickered, tightening his grip on you when you growled and tried to wriggle free. "You make awesome cookies by the way. They're better than the ones at the bakery."

The praise made your irritation settle a little. "Still mean," you muttered, elbowing Eddie lightly. Caught him off guard seconds later when you shoved off the floor, throwing your weight into him and making him stumble in order to cause the symbiote tendril that had almost reached the cake to fumble it's attempt to snatch it up.

"It's like having a three year old in the apartment," Eddie mused, yelping when that tendril lashed back to whack him upside the head.

You rolled your eyes at the dysfunction as Eddie started cursing at the symbiote. "Please let me go before you start beating each other up. I'm sore enough without getting involved in that insanity."

There was a pause in the cursing, and you felt the body against your back shift and grow, your feet leaving the floor as inky blackness covered and altered the arms around your waist. "IT'D BE USELESS FOR A BONDED HOST AND SYMBIOTE TO 'BEAT EACH OTHER UP', LITTLE STAR."

Your lips twitched. "It'd be entertaining."

Hot breath huffed against your cheek, a long tongue licking at your throat. "OUR LITTLE STAR HAS AN EVIL STREAK. WE LIKE IT!" Venom nuzzled into you, arms giving your waist a squeeze before you were gently set back onto your feet. "WE ALSO LIKE CHOCOLATE. AND WE INTEND TO HAVE SOME."

You shook your head as he brushed past you, stalking towards the kitchen table. "Just don't eat the entire thing, hmm? Leave some for Eddie and I."

"ONE PIECE. YOU CAN SHARE." He used a talon to cut a horrendously huge slice from the cake, tongue lolling out as he lifted it towards his maw.

"Only if it's as big at the one you just took. " When he grumbled, sending a miffed glance your way, you huffed a laugh. "And you can have the leftover icing in the fridge."

"HEH. DEAL." His tongue curled around the quarter piece he'd taken, pulling it completely into his mouth.

You didn't say a thing about his lack of manners - did alien goo have manners? - merely quirked an eyebrow at him as he licked icing off his fangs and talons afterwards. "So?"

"MMMM. SO GOOD!" His happy moan was nearly pornographic. "TRICKY, LITTLE STAR. NOT TELLING US YOU COULD MAKE SUCH SWEET THINGS. WILL YOU MAKE MORE FOR US?"

"You... want me to bake more? Really?" You couldn't keep the surprise out of your voice.

Venom tilted his head at you, as if he couldn't understand your shock. "OF COURSE. DID YOU THINK WE WOULDN'T LIKE IT?" When you shrugged nervously, a loud purr rumbled out of him, a tendril lashing out from his left forearm to wrap around your waist and pull you into his arms. "SILLY, STAR. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE LIKE CHOCOLATE. HOW COULD WE NOT LIKE YOUR PRESENT?"

"I haven't baked since before I ended up on the streets," you admitted, shivering a little when he rose a hand to your face, talons gentle against your skin as he brushed his thumb across your cheek.

"BAD MEMORIES?"

"Not all of them."

He hummed, then caught your lips in a searing kiss, the taste of chocolate filling your mouth as he curled the tip of his tongue around yours. He pulled away with a happy groan, licking at your lips when you gasped for air, blushing from the intensity of the kiss. "THERE. A GOOD MEMORY TO REPLACE A BAD ONE."

You laughed a little, curling your arms around his neck when he grinned, wrapped both arms around your waist, and lifted you off your feet. "Thanks."

"ANYTIME, LITTLE STAR," Venom purred, nuzzling at you a bit before he turned, one tendril lashing out to pick up the plate of chocolate chip cookies before he carried you over to the couch. "TV?"

"Don't know what's on," you warned him as he sat down, stretching his legs out to prop them up on the coffee table before setting you on his lap so you were sitting across his thighs. "Though I did see that you caught up with some bad guys."

He perked up at that. "DID YOU? IT WAS ON THE NEWS?"

"Yup. Nice touch, dangling them from the street light."

A grumble left him as he set the plate of cookies your lap, talons plucking at one and lifting it high enough that he could wrap his tongue around it. "EDDIE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE POLICE WOULD FIND THEM. WE'D HAVE PREFERRED TO KILL THEM ALL. DON'T SEE THE POINT OF LETTING THEM LIVE."

"There's the chance you scared them enough that they'll turn on their boss and rat him out to the cops," you offered with a shrug. "At the very least, you sent a message to their buddies that you're hunting them."

"HEH. THAT'S WHAT EDDIE SAID. SMART, STAR. HAVE A COOKIE."

Laughing, you accepted the treat, taking a bite. "You know you can go out at night too, right?"

Venom was silent for a moment, before he curled his arms around you, cookies forgotten as he held you close. "WE ARE HESITANT TO DO SO. NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T TRUST YOU, BUT BECAUSE _THEY_ TOOK YOU AT NIGHT WHILE WE WERE OUT HUNTING."

You didn't need an explanation as to who 'they' were. "I know." Sighing, you leaned into him, resting the side of your head on his shoulder. "But trust me, living in fear isn't _living_. I'm tired of being afraid, Venom. Going out today, it felt good. I can't play the guitar until this cast is off, but that doesn't mean I want to stay hidden in this apartment every day."

A low sigh escaped him. "WE WOULD NOT TAKE YOUR FREEDOM FROM YOU. EDDIE WENT TO HIS 'CONTACT' TODAY, ABOUT THE PHONES. CAN WE ASK THAT YOU STAY CLOSE TO THE SAFETY OF OUR NEST UNTIL YOU CAN CALL US IF YOU NEED US?"

"Of course." You pressed a kiss to his throat when he relaxed a little at your acquiesement. "I was actually going to ask about that."

"THE MAN SAID THE PHONES WOULD BE READY IN A FEW DAYS. WHEN WE KNOW YOU CAN CALL US IF YOU NEED US, THEN WE'LL HUNT AT NIGHT."

He was still tense, so you curled your right arm around his neck, gently tugging him down so you could press a kiss to his fangs. The purr that immediately rumbled out of him made you smile. "Fair enough. Thank you."

Still purring, Venom licked at your cheek then gently nipped at your bottom lip, soothing the sharp feeling with another swipe of his tongue. "YOU CAN MAKE US MORE SWEETS IN THE MEANTIME."

You snickered. "You realize that means I'll need to go shopping for more chocolate, right?"

"WE DON'T CONSIDER GROCERY SHOPPING A DANGEROUS OUTING," he drawled, shifting his hold on you so he could snatch up another cookie, eating it whole. "MM. SO GOOD. HERE." He offered you another one, and you dutifully took a bite, rolling your eyes when he ate the other half.

While he distracted you with another cookie, he used a tendril to snatch up the remote for the TV, the sound of it flicking on drawing you gaze for a moment before he flipped the channel to another baking show. "Obsessed much?"

"WE LIKE SWEET THINGS," was his explanation, and you huffed a laugh as you got comfortable on his lap, stealing a cookie for yourself as two more vanished behind his wicked fangs.

The three dozen cookies lasted, maybe, fifteen minutes. You got four more - one of which you had to snatch out of his grasp - Venom scarfed down the rest. You were definitely not telling him about the other bag of chocolate chips hidden away in the cupboard.

Afterwards, he wrapped you up in his arms again, cuddling you close, his chin resting on the top of your head. Used a tendril every now and again to point out which cakes looked the tastiest on the show you were watching, and you mentally took notes, even as you laughed and gently elbowed him, calling him a chocolate-fiend.

He took advantage of the time between shows to nuzzle at you, tongue licking at your jugular, one taloned hand rising to gently tilt your head back to give him better access to your throat. Purred loudly, chest vibrating against your side, when you sighed happily, gasping seconds later when he nipped at you.

You were just working up the nerve to ask him if he could, possibly, massage your sore shoulders, when he tugged at your tee to lick at your skin, a low growl leaving him when he saw the bruise on your left shoulder. "Don't freak out, it's just from carrying the bags home. I bought a _lot_ of stuff."

Venom tugged at your shirt some more, then moved the strap of your bra, baring more of your shoulder, talons ever gentle against your skin as he brushed his fingers across the bruise that showed where the straps of the grocery bag had dug into your flesh.

"STUBBORN, LITTLE STAR," he murmured, nuzzling at your cheek before nipping at your ear.

Apparently you didn't need to ask, because he bodily lifted you, turning you so your back was to his chest. You ended up straddling his thighs, facing the TV, and you glanced back at him curiously, blinking when he placed a hand on the top of your head and gently had you face the TV again.

Two big hands took hold of your shoulders, and you bit your lip a little as Venom pressed his thumbs into your muscles, the ache there spiking. You fought to keep from tensing or pulling away, closing your eyes when a low, rumbling, purr vibrated out of the chest at your back.

"SHOULD HAVE TOLD US YOU WERE SO SORE," he said, a frown in his voice. "YOU'RE SO TENSE, LITTLE STAR."

"It's my natural state," you quipped, wincing a little when he dug unto a knot.

Venom leaned closer, licking at the right side of your neck. "DO YOU TRUST US?"

You reached up to touch the hand on your left shoulder. "You know I do, hun."

A pleased hiss left him, lips pressing a kiss to your cheek, before he straightened again, hands shifting a little on your shoulders. You blinked when warmth flowed down your back and over your front down to your collarbones, looking down to find that he'd extended his symbiote 'self' to cover your back and shoulders.

You were curious, but you trusted him. Let him know that it was alright by leaning back into him, his purr deepening in understanding before he dig his thumbs into your shoulders again, the part of him he'd extended over you moving in tandem, massaging into your flesh.

It was a full back and shoulder massage, all at the same time. Venom used his hands to focus on the knotted muscles of your shoulders, while the 'symbiote' part of him soothed and eased the tension everywhere else with gentle massage.

Groaning happily, you rolled your shoulders up into his hands. "Should've gotten the nerve to ask you to do this days ago," you admitted, smiling a little when he chuckled and nuzzled at the top of your head.

"YES, YOU SHOULD HAVE. WE WOULD HAVE DONE THIS FOR YOU, HAPPILY."

"I just... didn't want to impose. You do do much for me already." You felt his breath huff against the back of your skull and glanced back at him. "I know, I know. I worry too much. No comments needed."

He snickered, but kept quiet. Merely shifted his hands on your shoulders, hunting down and working through every knot and tense muscle until you felt like jelly. He was careful about the part of him that was on your back, gently kneading at you to avoid aggravating your ribs.

Sighing, you slumped back against him, hearing Venom's low chuckle as he wrapped his arms around, cuddling you close and ducking his head to lick at your cheek. You shifted a little, lifting your legs so they were resting atop his where they were still propped up on the coffee table.

Honestly, you felt so small compared to Venom. But it wasn't weird anymore. You just felt cared for and immeasurably _safe_.

"BETTER?" he purred into your ear, and you nodded, resting your hands over his arms, fingers brushing over the muscles there.

"Nothing hurts," you sighed, smiling a little when he nuzzled at you, feeling him undulate the part of him that was covering your back.

"GOOD. WANT MORE COOKIES? WE HAVEN'T TRIED THE FRUITCAKE ONES YET." A tendril lashed out from his right shoulder, effortlessly stretching out to the kitchen table and lifting the plate of aforementioned cookies. "THEY SMELL GOOD."

You laughed as the plate was set onto your lap, the tendril plucking one of the cookies and offering it to you, darting away when you reached a hand out to accept it. Rolling your eyes, you let Venom feed you, taking a bite and chewing as Venom finished off the other half of the cookie.

The happy rumble that left him vibrated into your back. "DIFFERENT SWEETNESS. NOT LIKE CHOCOLATE, BUT GOOD!"

"They're my favorite. My Dad and I used to make them all the time," you told him as he offered you another cookie, waiting until you'd taken a bite before eating the rest.

"HE SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD MAN."

"He was." Venom nuzzled at you, purring louder, obviously very aware of the hint of sadness in your voice. "I miss him."

"WE KNOW YOU DO." He ducked his head so he was rumbling into your ear. "WE THINK HE WOULD BE PROUD OF YOU, OUR, STRONG, BEAUTIFUL, SELFLESS, FUNNY, TALENTED, STAR. HOW COULD HE NOT?"

You sniffled a little, closing your eyes when Venom licked at your tears. "Thank you."

His arms tightened around you, hugging you as tight at he dared. "FOR YOU? ANYTIME. HERE, HAVE ANOTHER COOKIE. COOKIES MAKE THINGS BETTER."

Laughing a little, you dutifully took a bite of the offered cookie. "Just going to feed me cookies all night?"

"UNTIL WE RUN OUT, YES." He held another cookie out to you, then used another tendril to flip the TV channel to another baking show.

Well, there were worse ways to spend an evening.

.

.

.


End file.
